Reading the Mark of Athena
by I am a naiad glad to serve u
Summary: The Percy Jackson Series and Heroes of Olympus series characters read the Mark of Athena right after their quest to the sea of monsters! Yep, Silena, Charles,Lee and others are still alive. Can Percabeth bear all the teasings? Will the thirteen year olds finally crack? What's with Chiron's timing? Read and find out... :D
1. Chapter 1

This took place after The Sea of Monsters:

One normal day at Camp Half-Blood: The Hermes campers were pranking, Demeter cabin along with the satyrs were growing different kinds of plants, Ares cabin was pulverizing new comers, Apollo campers were playing basket ball, Athena Cabin was reading …well most of the Athena cabin. Annabeth, Percy and Thalia (fully recovered from being a tree and now growing close with Percy) were in the arena practicing.

"You beat me this time, Jackson" Thalia said

"The pleasure mine" Percy said while laughing

"You're gonna need practice,Thals. Anywho, do I get the pleasure of beating the winner of this round?" Annabeth challenged

"You're on!" Percy said

But before they could start fighting a book fell on Percy's head.

"OW! What was that for?" Percy said as he looked around the arena to see if the Stolls were there, but they aren't.

Annabeth and Thalia were laughing at the sight. Annabeth was first to recover and she picked up the book

"Guys, check this out" Annabeth said

"Whoa… The Mark Of Athena huh?" Thalia asked

"Look there's a note. Percy, stop looking for the Stolls and come over here!" Annabeth said

The note says:

" Dear Past Percy, Annabeth and Thalia,

So wassup? Here is a gift we (the awesome gods) brought for you to read. It will serve as a gift,warning and a whole lot of blackmail. We advice you to get all the counselors and Grover Underwood to the Poseidon cabin and start reading there. We might be sending more people there either from the future or from other places and some of them may not even know they are half-bloods so we need Annabeth to explain our world to them. Have fun reading and collecting blackmails!

Sincerely,

The Gods of the Future

NOTE: show this to Chiron

2. This takes place after the Titan war (and Yes we WON!)

3. When the time comes that this will happen please try to correct your mistakes cause this will make us in a terrible shape. Thanks.

" We better show this to Chiron" Annabeth said

" So we're gonna read this book?" Percy asked

Thalia shrugged "Well as long as there are blackmails its good enough for me. Come on!"

As soon as Chiron read the letter he immediately sent all the counselors to the Poseidon cabin : They were Percy, Thalia, Katie, Clarisse, Annabeth, Beckendorf, Silena, Travis, Connor, Lee Fletcher, Pollux and Grover.

"So I suppose Chiron already told you why we-"

"Just finish the damn book, Prissy!" Clarisse said

"Okay, Okay jeez." Percy said

Just then a bright light appeared and when it died 6 teen agers appeared. One was a very handsome young man with blond hair, blue eyes and a little scar on his upper lip. The other boy looks like a santa latino elf and was a bit cute in a scawny way. The other young man looked like a cute cuddly koala bear with muscles. There were 2 girls, One was very beautiful with choppy, straight, brown hair, her eyes were changing colors the longer you look at them. The other girl was also beautiful with brown hair and golden eyes. All of them looked like 11 or 12. There was another boy who looked like 13 He has dark hair and dark eyes and everything he was wearing was black. He was the only one who does not look confuse like the others.

"Where am I? Who are you? what is place?" the blonde boy asked and then he seemed to notice the girl with brown hair and he just stared at her bumb founded

"Yes, I would also like answers to those questions" said the girl with golden eyes

"Everybody calm down. We are in Camp Half-Blood. Don't worry none of you will be harmed I swear in the Styx. This is just another of Lord Apollo's antics to send me back time and yes I know about it since Im from the future. The Gods sent me here to answer some of your questions. So to introduce myself I am Nico di Angelo, Son of Hades, Ambassador of Pluto and Ghost KIng."

A collection of gasps were heard in the whole cabin. Another child of the big three? He turned to the campers of camp Half-Blood.

"Don't worry Im no threat. Im not the child of the prophecy either. But I've been big help to you in the war. And…Percy is that you? I didn't know you look like that when you were thirteen, cuz! I need to take your picture."

"You know me?" Percy asked

Nico laughed "Dude, we have a brotherly relationship in the future. We didn't get along at the start and yeah ¾ of it is my fault but were fine now. And just so you know, you're girlfriend misses you so much now."

"Girlfriend?" Percy and Annabeth said at the same time which made them blush and made Nico laugh harder.

"You'll see. Anyway," He turned back to the newcomers "Annabeth here is going to explain everything to you but Jason, Frank and Hazel here are Roman demigods"

Another round of gasps

"Yeah, yeah there is another camp yada,yada,yada and Jason, yes there is a greek camp the book will tell you more but I suggest that you will explain to Hazel and Frank about your camp while Annabeth explains to Leo and Piper. After explaining you should introduce yourselves to each other. "

"How did you know our names? Was that a voo-doo trick or something? Dude, you got to teach me!" the santa latino guy said

Nico laughed "No, It was not voo-doo magic. The gods told me your names and what you look like before I was sent here."

"So Nico, Do you already know the story of the book?" Katie asked

"Sadly no, I was only sent here to answer a few questions that is happening in my time but this book is destined to happen a few months more than the time I am in. So lets start explaining shall we?

After explain and re-explaining the world of the gods they introduced themselves.

"Piper McLean" said the girl with the multicolored eyes

"Leo Valdez" the latino santa guy said

"Frank Zhang" said the cuddly panda guy

"Hazel Levesque" that's the girl with golden eyes

"Jason Grace" said the guy with blonde hair.

When Thalia heard this, she stood up an walked slowly toward Jason.

"Jason, do you by any chance have a sister named Thalia?" she asked

Jason looked surprised "How do you know that? "

Thalia was already crying when she hugged Jason and said "I am Thalia" When Jason heard this he hugged Thalia back and was trying not to cry. When Nico saw the looks everyone had in their faces, he mouthed_ Thalia's lost brother_ which was pretty hard but Annabeth was first to figure that out and whispered it to Percy who whispered it to Katie and it went on. When the both of them calmed down. Nico said" Before we start reading, I need the seven of you in one row. That would be Percy, Annabeth, Frank, Hazel,Leo, Jason and Piper."

Thalia said "Nico, please let me go with Jason we just got each other"

Nico rolled his eyes "Come on Thals, its not like he's leaving you forever. And sorry but the gods ordered this, I cant do anything about it. You can have time later though."

Thalia sighed and told Jason to go to the row with the others.

"So lets start reading now. Thalia I think if you read the first chapter it will cheer you ." Nico gave the book to Thalia and she started reading

CHAPTER ONE: ANNABETH


	2. Chapter 2

**Thalia's POV**

I can't believe it! My baby brother is alive! Mom said he's dead. Curse Hera she started it! Just because we are children of Zeus doesn't mean its our fault we are born! It was not our fault Zeus fell in love with our mom! (sigh) Anyway gotta finish this chapter.

"**CHAPTER ONE: ANNABETH**…hmm Annabeth, I think this book may be based on your thoughts" I told her

"Oh great just what I want" she replied sarcastically

"Really Thalia? So it means we can see what miss smarty pants thinks now?" Connor asked. Unfortunately he got a good sized bruise on his arm 120 seconds later after struggling.

**Until she met the exploding statue, Annabeth thought she was prepared for anything.**

"Exploding statue, huh?" Percy asked

"Maybe its our god of bounderies-Terminus. He is very temperamental and he takes form of a statue while he is in New Rome." Jason said

"Oh that explains it then." Percy said "Thanks"

"No Prob." Jason replied.

**She'd paced the deck of their flying warship, the Argo II, checking and double-checking the ballistae to make sure they were locked down. She confirmed that the white "We come in peace" flag was flying from the mast. She reviewed the plan with the rest of the crew—and the backup plan, and the backup plan for the backup plan.**

"Acted like a true child of Athena" Silena said

Annabeth smiled and thanked Silena

**Most important, she pulled aside their war-crazed chaperone, Coach Gleeson Hedge,**

"Gleeson?" Grover asked

"Yeah, its whats written here why?" I asked

"Nothing he is just a friend of mine, also a satyr... Just curious, Sorry go on."

**and encouraged him to take the morning off in his cabin and watch reruns of mixed martial arts championships. The last thing they needed as they flew a magical Greek trireme into a potentially hostile Roman camp-**

"HEY! We are not totally hostile!"Jason complained

"Sorry, blame future me. I didn't know!" Annabeth apologized

"Gasp! Annabeth Chase doesn't know something! Run for your lives the apocalypse is coming!" Travis said who got smacked by Katie who sat beside him.

**was a middle-aged satyr in gym clothes waving a club and yelling "Die!"**

Grover chuckled "Yup, its Gleeson alright."

**Everything seemed to be in order. Even that mysterious chill she'd been feeling since the ship launched had dissipated, at least for now.**

Katie asked "Mysterious chill?"

Annabeth shrugged

**The warship descended through the clouds, but Annabeth couldn't stop second-guessing herself. What if this was a bad idea? What if the Romans panicked and attacked them on sight?**

"That would be…well bad" Leo said

"No Leo, It would be totally safe if they attacked us blew the ship" Piper said sarcastically

After Piper said that Leo looked to be in a daze. Like hypnotized… and he keeps muttering "Safe…Perfectly Safe…" wonder why?

**The Argo II definitely did not look friendly. Two hundred feet long, with a bronze-plated hull, mounted repeating crossbows fore and aft, a flaming metal dragon for a figurehead, and two rotating ballistae amidships that could fire explosive bolts powerful enough to blast through concrete…well, it wasn't the most appropriate ride for a meet-and-greet with the neighbors.**

"Definitely, if it looks that scary then…Im not so sure the Romans will like it" Jason said

**Annabeth had tried to give the Romans a heads-up. She'd asked Leo to send one of his special inventions—a holographic scroll—to alert their friends inside the camp.**

"Um…you got friends inside our camp?" Jason asked

"I don't know…maybe. We cant really be sure now can we?" Percy said

"True but I just hope it wont be spies"

" Trust us. It probably wasn't spies" Piper said calming him down and making him blush. Hmmm…

**Hopefully the message had gotten through. Leo had wanted to paint a giant message on the bottom of the hull—WASSUP? with a smiley face—but Annabeth vetoed the idea. She wasn't sure the Romans had a sense of humor.**

"We do you know" my brother said  
"Jason, you know if you keep interrupting every now and then we won't finish this book until next October." I told him

"Oh right sorry, Sis"

**Too late to turn back now. The clouds broke around their hull, revealing the gold-and-green carpet of the Oakland Hills below them. Annabeth gripped one of the bronze shields that lined the starboard rail. Her three crewmates took their places.****On the stern quarterdeck, Leo rushed around like a madman, checking his gauges and wrestling levers. Most helmsmen would've been satisfied with a pilot's wheel or a tiller. Leo had also installed a keyboard, monitor, aviation controls from a Learjet, a dub step sound board, and motion-control sensors from a Nintendo Wii.**

"Whoa" was what the campers chorused

"You may be my brother, Leo" Beckendorf said smiling "Im already impressed."

**He could turn the ship by pulling on the throttle, fire weapons by sampling an album, or raise sails by shaking his Wii controllers really fast. Even by demigod standards, Leo was seriously ADHD.**

"Whoa, wait how did you know I was ADHD?" Leo asked "Teach me how to know! I promise to listen!please,please,please.."

Annabeth sighed obviously annoyed " Leo, I told you already most of us demigods are ADHD"

"Oh right…I knew that…" Leo said

Piper smirked "Sure you did Leo…Sure, keep telling yourself that."

Jason chuckled but kept his eyes at PIper. Hmmm…Jason seems to stare a lot to Piper and vise versa… I'll ask Silena later.

**Piper paced back and forth behind the main mast, practicing her lines. "Lower your weapons," she murmured, "we just want to talk."  
Her Charmspeak was so powerful the words flowed over Annabeth, filling her with the desire to drop her dagger and have a nice long chat.**

Silena smiled at Piper "Welcome to the Aphrodite cabin, sister"

Piper raised an eyebrow "What does that mean?"

"Piper, it means you are my sister, at least half. Aphrodite is your- our – mom. Its obvious, only children of Aphrodite can charmspeak and according to Annabeth you do and I know Annabeth she is very rarely wrong." She smiled " I'll introduce you to everyone later If you have questions just ask but not now, okay? We need to finish the book."

Piper smiled back but I can see through her eyes…yup, she's confused. Charmspeak huh? That explains why Leo looks in a daze a while ago. Anyway…

**For a child of Aphrodite, Piper tried really hard to play down her beauty. Today she was dressed in tattered jeans, worn out sneakers, and a white tank top with pink Hello Kitty designs. Maybe a joke? Though Annabeth really could never tell with Piper. Her choppy brown hair was braided down the right side with an eagle's feather**

"I can see you are different from you're other sisters, Piper. Say… You have a boyfriend?" Travis asked. OH the nerve of that guy…

When I read the next line I smirked at him

**And then there was Piper's boyfriend**

When Piper heard this her head popped up " I get a boyfriend?"

Jason looked really miffed "Gee, wonder who it is"

I smiled evilly as I re- read the line

**And then there was Piper's boyfriend – Jason.**

The look on Jason and Piper's faces made me laugh so hard I hit my head on the table behind me but I kept laughing… They were SO RED I thought they were gonna explode! I wish I had taken a picture. NOTE TO SELF: whenever I'm gonna read something that's gonna humiliate someone tell Travis to get a camera.

The whole cabin was laughing now at the looks of their faces.

"Jason and Piper sitting on a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" sang the Stolls.

To save my bro from FURTHER embarrassment I kept reading.

**He stood at the bow on a raised crossbow platform where the Romans could easily spot him. His knuckles were white on the hilt of his sword. Otherwise he was pretty calm for a guy who was making himself a target. Over his jeans and his orange Camp Half Blood T-shirt, he had donned a toga and a purple cloak, symbols of his old rank as praetor.**

"Whoa, I get to be praetor? COOL!" Jason said

"Uh…what's a praetor?" Katie asked

Just when Annabeth is gonna start explaining Clarisse said "READ THALIA!"

Why do I have a feeling Clarisse will be sent to the infirmary if I don't read? I got to keep reading then

**With his wind ruffled blond hair and his icy blue eyes, he looked ruggedly handsome and in control, just like son of Jupiter should.**

Nico, Percy, Jason and I sighed. Unfortunately its what we all should look like…

**He'd grown up at Camp Jupiter, so hopefully his familiar face would make the Romans hesitate to blow them out of the sky. Annabeth tried to fight it, but she didn't completely trust this guy. He acted too perfect, always following the rules, always doing the honorable thing. He even looked too perfect.**

"You think so, Annabeth?" Leo asked. Oh no he asked for it!

"Oh leave her alone, Leo. She likes someone else anyway." Silena said as she smiled knowingly at Annabeth while she glared at Silena

"Yeah. Lay off Leo before her boyfriend skewers you with his 'ark of pure destruction'. Nico said

"She has a boyfriend?" Percy asked. The look on his face was identical to Jason's a while ago. Before I could ask him why he cared Nico beat me to it by laughing so hard. Is he really a son of Hades?

"You'll find out soon enough. Thalia,I suggest you read faster so they can know what I'm laughing about. People stop staring at me like that! I'm not crazy!"

"Dude, are you sure you're a son of Hades?" Leo asked

"Of course. Im just really happy now to tease my suddenly-thirteen-year-old cousin over here. Say…Connor you have a paper and pen there?" Nico said

Connor smiled "You don't even need to say it" he pulled a notebook and pencil from his pocket

"Whats the notebook for?" Katie asked

"Oh its my personal list of blackmails. Im listing everything I can find. No stopping me" He stuck his tongue out at Katie

"Well just be sure to give me a Xerox copy" Nico said

"Of course… For a price" The stolls said

Nico grimaced but sighed and said "Name it later. Just make the price worth it!"

"Oh its worth it, Nico, definitely worth it"

**In the back of her mind, she had a nagging thought: What if this is a trick and he betrays us? What if we sail into Camp Jupiter, and he says,**_**Hey Romans? Check out these prisoners and this cool ship I brought you?**_

"I would never do that! Maybe not as a Roman but as a future friend and ally you need to trust me." Jason said sounding truly hurt

"Annabeth, Jason's right. Why don't you trust him anyway?" I asked

"Sorry, I don't mean to not trust you, Jason. I mean just now I can see you are a trustworthy person. I just think that if something is perfect in the demigod world it's a trap. And trust me I've experienced being trapped a lot." Annabeth said

Jason sighed "Apology accepted just try not to think of that again."

**Annabeth doubted that would happen. Still, she couldn't look at him without getting a bitter taste in her mouth. He'd been part of Hera's forced "exchange program" to introduce the two camps. Her Most Annoying Majesty, Queen of Olympus, had convinced the other gods that their two sets of children––Roman and Greek––had to combine forces to save the world from the evil goddess Gaea, who was awakening from the earth, and her horrible children the giants.**

"WHAT!" the whole cabin chorused

"Gaea? As if we aren't in trouble with the titans already!" Clarisse exclaimed

"Giants? This can't be happening!"Annabeth said

"What are we gonna do?"Katie asked

When everyone went silent, I continued

**Without warning, Hera had plucked up Percy Jackson,**

"WHAT!"

"Me? Seriously why me?" Percy asked

"I know now! Its an exchange of leaders! Jason from the Roman Camp and Percy from the Greek!" Annabeth said

"Leader? Leader?! Im not a leader! Im just a son of Poseidon!" Percy said

Nico snorted "Sure cuz, A son of Poseidon whos first monster was a fury, who beat the minotaur twice, who beheaded Medusa, who fell from the St Louise Arch, who retrieved Zeus' and Hades' symbols of power, who beat the crap out of Ares, who sailed through the sea of monsters, beat Polyphemus, brought back the golden fleece, King of pissing off gods, who beat the nemean lion, who named the ophiotaurus Bessie, who got to the garden of the Hespirides, who held the weight of the sky, only boy who got to the good side of Artemis besides Orion, Who was given a 'tragic' lovelife by Aphrodite, who got in the labyrinth, who killed Geryon, who got his 1st kiss inside an exploding volcano, who Calypso fell in love with, who got stuck in a pathetic love triangle, who killed Antaeus, who met Pan, who blew up a ship full of monsters, who is the prophesy child, killed thousands of monsters in the war, who lead camp half-blood to victory, who turned down immortality in exchange for a better world for gods and demigods, who beat 4 titans: Atlas, Iapetus, Hyperion and Kronos, who has amazing cousins named Thalia and Nico, who is the favorite son of Poseidon" Nico said "Can't breathe!"

Now everyone's eyes are on Percy who's jaw dropped to the floor. He really did that? All that?

"beat 4 titans: Atlas, Iapetus, Hyperion and Kronos?" Clarisse said

"given a 'tragic' lovelife by Aphrodite?" Silena said

"the child of the prophesy?"Katie said

"turned down immortality in exchange for a better world for gods and demigods?"Annabeth said

Then ALL the boys except for Percy yelled "DUDE, YOU ARE FREAKING AWESOME!"

"Behold! The leader of camp half-blood!" Travis yelled dramatically

Once we got over our shock, I started reading again. I re-read the sentence

**Without warning, Hera had plucked up Percy Jackson, Annabeth's****-**

When I saw the next word my eyes bugged out and my jaw dropped. Oh My Gods…

I re-read the word 3 times, the whole sentence 5 times, I closed the book and hit it against the wall next to me and checked it again…

Everyone was giving me weird looks except for Nico. I looked at him and asked a silent question if its true and he nodded his head…

Then I got the mental image of what they will look like when they find out and I burst out laughing. Not long after Nico joined in. We were laughing our heads off.

I managed to choke out "Travis!—Get –Camera—Now!" He reluctantly got up and got the camera. He probably taught I lost my marbles.

"What are you laughing at?" Clarisse asked

When I got over a little I read the next line

**Without warning, Hera had plucked up Percy Jackson, Annabeth's boyfriend**

The 5 seconds of silence was broken when Percy and Annabeth yelled "I'M HER/HIS WHAT ?!"

That sent all of us into fit of laughter. Oh the look on their faces! Priceless! I saw Travis automatically taking their pictures

Silena said "I knew it, I knew it, I knew IT!"

We all chorused "Percy and Annabeth sitting on a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

Connor shouted "EVERYBODY SING IT WITH ME!"

"1ST COMES LOVE, 2ND COMES MARRIAGE, 3RD COMES PERCY WITH A BABY IN THE CARRAGE!" (a/n corny I know)

Percy still can't believe it. "There's got to be some mistake!" He came over to me, grabbed the book, checked it and I swear while he reads it his face looks like being slowly injected by a color so red I don't even have a name for it!

Annabeth joined him and Oh my Zeus THE LOOK ON THEIR FACES!

After a few minutes of gaping at the book they both sat down at the opposite sides of the table

"I can't believe it… OH FOR THE LOVE OF ATHENA I JUST CANT BELIEVE IT!" Annabeth yelled. I gotta agree with her there

"Neither can I…" Percy muttered. I think neither of them have the guts to look at each other with such flustered faces

"HA! I TOLD YOU SO ANNABETH STOP DENYING IT!" Silena shouted

"I agree with Silena. Guys Its obvious and I only knew Percy for a few days!"I told them which of course made Perce and Annabeth blush redder. I mean its so obvious! The way Annabeth talks about him and suddenly drifts into Percyland? There way no way she was not crushin' on him. I hate to admit this but Perce isn't bad looking. In fact he looks the exact opposite of bad looking but don't tell him that. And when every morning they get out of their cabin with bad moods and they just share a smile then the sun comes out of their day? Well if that isn't sayin they're crushin hard on each other then I'm barbie.

"I sensed it you know! it was so obvious to me it took all my will power to try not teasing the both of you since last year!" Grover said

Travis clicked his tongue "What will thy mother and father say, my darling favoured couple? "

Connor fake wiped a tear"I'm so proud! You learned to upset your parents on your own!"

"I think Its very romantic and I can almost feel my mother dancing with happiness" Silena said .

'Oh Aphrodite's gonna have soooo much fun' I thought

"Yes while I could also feel Athena slowly being filled with rage every second so PLEASE, Thalia. If those past few days of hanging out with you and Annabeth mean ANYTHING please value my life and dignity by continue reading!" Percy pleaded

I obliged for my dear cousin… I just hope Travis got those Photos clearly…Oh this'll be FUN…

**, ****wiped his memory**

"WHAT!"

THAT killed the mood

**, and sent him to the Roman camp. In exchange, the Greeks had gotten Jason.**

I silently cursed "That's Hera's brilliant plan? I mean - not that its bad to have Jason - but, would it really work?"

Nobody bothered to answer

**None of that was Jason's fault; but every time Annabeth saw him, she remembered how much she missed Percy.**

"AWWWWWW Annabeth misses her boyfriend!" The whole cabin except the all new Percabeth teased

Silena was looking ready to pass out from happiness

The stolls, Nico, and Leo vowed never to forget this day

The others were busy teasing them including me actually

Percy and Annabeth looked ready to run out of the cabin and bury themselves in sand and never come out

**Percy...who was somewhere below them right now.**

_**Oh, gods.**_**Panic welled up inside her. She forced it down. She couldn't afford to get overwhelmed.**

_**I'm a child of Athena,**_**she told herself.**_**I have to stick to my plan and not get distracted.**_

"Good" said Piper

Annabeth sent a small grateful glance at her though her face is still very and I mean VERY ABSOLUTELY POSSITIVELY RED.

**She felt it again–that familiar shiver, as if a psychotic snowman had crept up behind her and was breathing down her neck. She turned, but no one was there.**

?

**Must be her nerves. Even in a world of gods and monsters, Annabeth couldn't believe a new warship would be haunted. The**_**Argo II**_**was well protected. The Celestial bronze shields along the rail were enchanted to ward off monsters, and their onboard satyr, Coach Hedge, would have sniffed out any intruders.**

**Annabeth wished she could pray to her mother for guidance, but that wasn't possible now. Not after last month, when she'd had that horrible encounter with her mom and gotten the worst present of her life...**

Travis scoffed " How could a present be bad?"

"When it comes from you" Katie retorted

"Now why would you say that, Katie?"

"Its obviously for some prank. Look what you did to my sister Miranda! She was ashamed to even go out the cabin for a month!"

Everyone who was there shivered remembering what happened to Poor Miranda

******The cold pressed closer. She thought she heard a faint voice in the wind, laughing. Every muscle in her body tensed. Something was about to go terribly wrong.**

******She almost ordered Leo to reverse course. Then, in the valley below, horns sounded. The Romans had spotted them.**

******Annabeth thought she knew what to expect. Jason had described Camp Jupiter to her in great detail. Still, she had trouble believing her eyes. Ringed by the Oakland Hills, the valley was at least twice the size of Camp Half-Blood. A small river snaked around one side and curled toward the center like a capital letter G, emptying into a sparkling blue lake.**

******Directly below the ship, nestled at the edge of the lake, the city of New Rome gleamed in the sunlight. She recognized landmarks Jason had told her about—the hippodrome, the coliseum, the temples and parks, the neighborhood of Seven Hills with its winding streets, colorful villas, and flowering gardens.**

WOWS rang around the room

******She saw evidence of the Romans' recent battle with an army of monsters. The dome was cracked open on a building she guessed was the Senate House. The forum's broad plaza was pitted with craters. Some fountains and statues were in ruins.**

******Dozens of kids in togas were streaming out of the Senate House to get a better view of the Argo II. More Romans emerged from the shops and cafés, gawking and pointing as the ship descended.**

******About half a mile to the west, where the horns were blowing, a Roman fort stood on a hill. It looked just like the illustrations Annabeth had seen in military history books—with a defensive trench lined with spikes, high walls, and watchtowers armed with scorpion ballistae. Inside, perfect rows of white barracks lined the main road—the Via Principalis.**

I wondered why everyone wasnt making any comment I glanced at them to find Nico, Percy, Jason, Leo, Frank, Travis, Connor, Lee and Grover sleeping. Only Beckendorf was awake probably because I'm talking about machines here. I sighed and got up then electrocuted them all at once

"OWWWWWW!"

"How was your little nap, boys?" I asked them

They glared at me then sat down again grumbling about 'freaking daughter of sky god ' or something like that

******A column of demigods emerged from the gates, their armor and spears glinting as they hurried toward the city. In the midst of their ranks was an actual war elephant.**

******Annabeth wanted to land the Argo II before those troops arrived, but the ground was still several hundred feet below. She scanned the crowd, hoping to catch a glimpse of Percy.**

**Lo****ud Wolf-whistles we're heard from the Poseidon Cabin to about 3 mile radius**

******Then something behind her went BOOM!**

"What Happened?!" Percy asked/shouted

"Ow man, lower the volume! I'm sittin' right next to you!" Nico said

"Sorry...just worried" Percy said

"About your girlfriend?" Travis asked innocently

"NO!" Percy said getting red-faced again

I think Annabeth decided to play combat " So you don't care about me?" She asked testing him

"What? NO! That's not what I meant!"

"Then what do you mean?" she said trying to act angry

"Um...Look Annabeth, listen I care about you ok? I care about you a lot! Your my best friend and I don't want you to get hurt. I just said no to Travis bucause...because...um...It's because..."

We we're all snickering at him. Apparently he didn't realize Annabeth was just teasing

Annabeth laughed" Seaweed brain, I was kidding!"

Percy looked confused"You we're?"

"Yeah..." She said rolling her eyes. Then mumbled something under her breath but I heard it anyway: "though it feels very good to hear from you that you care about me" she said fondly. When I heard that I grinned and I swore never to let her live without teasing her about it

******The explosion almost knocked her overboard. She whirled and found herself eye to eye with an angry statue.**

"******Unacceptable!" he shrieked.**

**"Oh look, its Terminus" Jason said without enthusiasm**

******Apparently he had exploded into existence, right there on the deck. Sulfurous yellow smoke rolled off his shoulders. Cinders popped around his curly hair. From the waist down, he was nothing but a square marble pedestal. From the waist up, he was a muscular human figure in a carved toga.**

"******I will not have weapons inside the Pomerian Line!" he announced in a fussy teacher voice. "I certainly will not have Greeks!"**

******Jason shot Annabeth a look that said, ****____****I've got this.**

"******Terminus," he said. "It's me. Jason Grace."**

"******Oh, I remember you, Jason!" Terminus grumbled. "I thought you had better sense than to consort with the enemies of Rome!"**

**"****But they're not enemies—"**

"******That's right," Piper jumped in. "We just want to talk. If we could—"**

"******Ha!" snapped the statue. "Don't try that charmspeak on me, young lady. And put down that dagger before I slap it out of your hands!"**

******Piper glanced at her bronze dagger, which she'd apparently forgotten she was holding. "Um …okay. But how would you slap it? You don't have any arms."**

Jason winced "Oh he's not gonna like that"

"******Impertinence!" There was a sharp POP and a flash of yellow. Piper yelped and dropped the dagger, which was now smoking and sparking.**

"******Lucky for you I've just been through a battle," Terminus announced. "If I were at full strength, I would've blasted this flying monstrosity out of the sky already!"**

**"Is that Terminal calling my ship a monstrosity? He didn't right?" Leo asked rather outraged**

**"Leo, 1****st**** its Terminus not Terminal. 2****nd**** yes, yes he did call your ship a monstrosity" I'll give you 3 guesses on who said that**

"******Hold up." Leo stepped forward, wagging his Wii controller. "Did you just call my ship a monstrosity? I know you didn't do that."**

******The idea that Leo might attack the statue with his gaming device was enough to snap Annabeth out of her shock.**

Everyone burst out laughing at the mental image

"******Let's all calm down." She raised her hands to show she had no weapons. "I take it you're Terminus, the god of boundaries. Jason told me you protect the city of New Rome, right? I'm Annabeth Chase, daughter of—"**

"******Oh, I know who you are!" The statue glared at her with its blank white eyes. "A child of Athena, Minerva's Greek form. Scandalous! You Greeks have no sense of decency. We Romans know the proper place for that goddess." **

"WHATS SO SCANDALOUS ABOUT MOM?" someone from the window yelled

we all turned and saw Malcolm in there. He looked embarrassed from his outburst

"Um...Hey...I heard you we're reading a book. Thought it was interesting. Mind if I join you? You know _in_ the cabin not out the window?"

"No, not at all. Come in the door's open." Percy said

Malcolm grinned and entered the cabin. I figured if I won't start reading it will be awkward so...

**Annabeth clenched her jaw. This statue wasn't making it easy to be diplomatic. "What exactly do you mean, that goddess? And what's so scandalous about—"**

"You tell him, Annabeth!"

"******Right!" Jason interrupted. "Anyway, Terminus, we're here on a mission of peace. We'd love permission to land so we can—"**

"******Impossible!" the god squeaked. "Lay down your weapons and surrender! Leave my city immediately!"**

"******Which is it?" Leo asked. "Surrender, or leave?"**

"******Both!" Terminus said. "Surrender, then leave. I am slapping your face for asking such a stupid question, you ridiculous boy! Do you feel that?"**

"******Wow." Leo studied Terminus with professional interest. "You're wound up pretty tight. You got any gears in there that need loosening? I could take a look."**

Jason looked over Leo "Dude, you might as well write your will."

******He exchanged the Wii controller for a screwdriver from his magic tool belt and tapped the statue's pedestal.**  
"******Stop that!" Terminus insisted. Another small explosion made Leo drop his screwdriver. "Weapons are not allowed on Roman soil inside the Pomerian Line."**

"******The what?" Piper asked.**

"City Limits" Percy said automatically. We stared at him.

"How did you know?" I asked

He shrugged "I think Chiron taught me that when he was my Latin teacher back at Yancy"

We accepted the answer

"******City limits," Jason translated.**

"******And this entire ship is a weapon!" Terminus said. "You cannot land!"**

******Down in the valley, the legion reinforcements were halfway to the city. The crowd in the forum was over a hundred strong now. Annabeth scanned the faces and … oh, gods. **

We all grinned

******She saw him. He was walking toward the ship with his arms around two other kids like they were best buddies—a stout boy with a black buzz cut, and a girl wearing a Roman cavalry helmet. Percy looked so at eas********e, so happy. He wore a purple cape just like Jason's—the mark of a praetor.**

Malcolm, Annabeth, Nico and Jason gasped. We stared at them waiting for an explanation.

"A praetor is like a general. Like leader of Rome when there is no higher position like an emperor. It usually takes years to get a position like that and you have to be either elected or you need to be raised in a shield as a true hero of Rome and by 'true hero' I mean you have to save the whole city from an enormous threat or attack and Percy's been in there in just...8 months**(*****)**?...less? Perce, you always manage to make me speechless."Nico said gaping

Now we all gaped at him.

He seemed uncomfortable with the attention so I started reading

******Annabeth's heart did a gymnastics routine.**

Now cat calls were heard 3.8 mile radius around the cabin

Then the Stolls started humming a tune that suspiciously sounds like superbass

We cracked up until a dagger flew just between the faces of the 2 brothers

"Sing that song again while teasing me and your precious faces will be destroyed" Annabeth threatened

they gulped

"******Leo, stop the ship," she ordered.**

"******What?"**

"******You heard me. Keep us right where we are."**

******Leo pulled out his controller and yanked it upward. All ninety oars froze in place. The ship stopped sinking.**

"******Terminus," Annabeth said, "there's no rule against hovering over New Rome, is there?"**

We laughed "Nice thinking, Annabeth!" we all praised

******The statue frowned. "Well, no …"**

"******We can keep the ship aloft," Annabeth said. "We'll use a rope ladder to reach the forum. That way, the ship won't be on Roman soil. Not technically."**

"I think he'll agree now. He likes technicalities" Jason stated

******The statue seemed to ponder this. Annabeth wondered if he was scratching his chin with imaginary hands.**

"******I like technicalities," he admitted. "Still …"**

"******All our weapons will stay aboard the ship," Annabeth promised. "I assume the Romans—even those reinforcements marching toward us—will also have to honor your rules inside the Pomerian Line if you tell them to?"**

"******Of course!" Terminus said. "Do I look like I tolerate rule breakers?"**

"Then how in my father's bolt did kelp head become praetor?" I asked

We laughed while Percy pouted "I can Control myself!"

"Perce, face it, you cant" Grover said trying not to laugh

Percy pouted again

"******Uh, Annabeth …" Leo said. "You sure this is a good idea?"**

******She closed her fists to keep them from shaking. That cold feeling was still there. It floated just behind her, and now that Terminus was no longer shouting and causing explosions, she thought she could hear the presence laughing, as if it was delighted by the bad choices she was making.**

******But Percy was down there … he was so close. She had to reach him.**

Now "AWWWW!" was being heard up to the canoe lake. Meanwhile Percy and Annabeth looked ready to faint any second

"******It'll be fine," she said. "No one will be armed. We can talk in peace. Terminus will make sure each side obeys the rules." She looked at the marble statue. "Do we have an agreement?"**

******Terminus sniffed. "I suppose. For now. You may climb down your ladder to New Rome, daughter of Athena. Please try not to destroy my town."**

"DONE!" I said as I passed it to Annabeth

"Do I need to?" she pouted at me

"Yes, Annabeth. They are your thoughts so go read and lets see what you think about kelp head"

She just grumbled under her breath

**"********Annabeth II"**

******A/N**

******Hi guys!**

******in case your wondering why the hades did Nico say that Percy has been in camp jupiter in 8 months but the thruth is he's only been there in a week. its because Perce has been missing 8 months so his friends from CHB are assuming he's been there all those times. this was before Nico saw him on CJ. Does that make sense? if you have questions or suggestions you are welcome to PM or review. **

******Sorry I updated really late. Its just well lets just say if your valedictorian your life is never easy.**

******Anyway I'm continuing it (obviously). I wanted to say sorry if the chapter disappointed you. Its my 1********st******** fanfic and im open to suggestions and questions. I hope that in the reviews even if you dont like it please make your review less disheartening. I hope you liked it though. **

******OH AND I DON'T OWN PJO AND HOO. MR. RIORDAN DOES**

******Peace out till chapter two! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

Annabeth's Point of View

I was about to start reading when a bright light engulfed Thalia.

We averted our eyes. When the light died down, on Thalia's seat was...Thalia.

She looked the same except that she was wearing her 'You like Dora? DO YOU WANT TO MEET HER IN THE FIELDS OF PUNISHMENT?' t-shirt instead of her CHB t-shirt. Her hair was slightly longer but still choppy. She had a silver circlet on her head.

When she opened her eyes, she smiled at us. "Hey guys, its me Thalia of the the future. Lord Apollo said that he had other surprises in store for us so better watch out. Anyway..." She glared at Nico

"Di Angelo, if you attempted to paint my things pink again I swear in the Styx you wont be alive long enough to regret it. Clear?"

Nico just yawned like he was used to it "K, fine"

Thalia glared again then turned to me "Can I read again?"

I looked at her Thalia hates to read books twice "Why?"

She grinned "Because its in your point of view. You'll probably change the words stated or you'll skip the words. Now hand that over so we can get over this quick."

I gave it to her

"******Annabeth II," ****Thalia began**

******A sea of hastily assembled demigods parted for Annabeth as she walked through the forum.**

******Some looked tense, some nervous. Some were bandaged from their recent battle with the giants, but no one was armed. No one attacked.**

"That's good" Jason breathed

******Entire families had gathered to see the newcomers. Annabeth saw couples with babies, toddlers clinging to their parents' legs, even some elderly folks in a combination of Roman robes and modern clothes.**

All of our eyes bugged out. Parents? Elderly? Some of us can't even survive our early twenties!

Jason was looking proud

**Were all of them demigods?**

"No, They're descendants. CJ is a multigenerational camp. Demigods can grow old, get to college, get married, retire...It's the life, really." Jason breathed

We gaped at him. Wow. I can wait to see it.

******Annabeth suspected so, though she'd never seen a place like this. At Camp Half-Blood, most demigods were teens. If they survived long enough to graduate from high school, they either stayed on as counselors or left to start lives as best they could in the mortal world.**

"Yeah...I wish I get that lucky." Percy said wistfully

"Why?"

"So I could give my mom the life she deserves. I'm going to work hard for her. Build her a mansion close to the sea. I have my own dreams too. Maybe be in the navy or maybe a marine biologist. If Aphrodite decrees then I'll fall in love. Then maybe help the camp more. You know if I had enough money, I'll make all the minor gods their own cabins. Maybe I'll get to repair and build more temples for the gods. And honor all the heroes who fought in the war...s." He sighed wistfully

Silena's Jaw dropped "Wow. Percy I didn't know you were that...selfless." I agreed with her

Percy shrugged. Hmm. Selfless...must be one of his fatal flaw's hint. Now I just need to get a better word for it...

******Here, it was an entire multi-generational community.**

******At the far end of the crowd, Annabeth spotted Tyson the Cyclops **

Percy smiled "Ah I miss Tyson. I wish he didn't have to leave so soon..."

"You were the one pushing him aside the whole time" Clarisse pointed out

Percy just sighed "Yeah but I wish I didn't...Look I just didn't realize all the blessings I had till they were gone. Now I regret all of those thoughts about Tyson"

Clarisse scoffed "Your still a big softy, Prissy."

Percy just glared

******and Percy's hellhound, Mrs. O'Leary**

Everyone except Thalia and Nico gaped at Percy.

Percy's jaw dropped

"How is that even possible?" Hazel asked

"Percy inherited Mrs O'leary from her previous owner. She's the worlds only friendly hellhound." Nico answered

Connor scoffed "Who names his dog Mrs. O'Leary? The previous owner must be really stupid."

Nico grinned "Well Connor, You have something against the greatest architect Daedalus himself?"

Mine, Malcolm's and Connor's Jaw dropped "Never mind I said anything" He said "That guy's a genius."

"But isn't he dead?" I asked

"Long story. Will happen about two years from this time." Nico replied dismissively

**—****who had been the first scouting party from Camp Half-Blood to reach Camp Jupiter. They looked to be in good spirits. Tyson waved and grinned. He was wearing an SPQR banner like a giant bib.**

******Some part of Annabeth's mind registered how beautiful the city was—the smells from the bakeries, the gurgling fountains, the flowers blooming in the gardens. And the architecture …gods, the architecture—gilded marble columns, dazzling mosaics, monumental arches, and terraced villas.**

**Malcolm and I sighed while the others rolled their eyes**

******In front of her, the demigods made way for a girl in full Roman armor and a purple cape. Dark hair tumbled across her shoulders. Her eyes were as black as obsidian.**

"She looks familiar..." Jason said

******Reyna.**

"Reyna, Reyna...Reyna, Oh Reyna! The new girl at camp!" Jason quipped

******Jason had described her well. **

Thalia raised an eyebrow at Jason who just stared at her blankly "What?"Thalia turned away

******Even without that, Annabeth would have singled her out as the leader. Medals decorated her armor. She carried herself with such confidence the other demigods backed away and averted their gaze.**

******Annabeth recognized something else in her face, too—in the hard set of her mouth and the deliberate way she raised her chin like she was ready to accept any challenge. Reyna was forcing a look of courage, while holding back a mixture of hopefulness and worry and fear that she couldn't show in public.**

"Exactly like you then?" Percy smiled

"You too. Except that your more goofy looking and laid back." I said

"Oh really?" Percy said teasingly

I smirked "Yes, really"

"Okay will you two stopped flirting?" Clarisse asked irritatedly

Percy and I blushed

Thalia looked over Clarisse "Brace yourself. It gets worse. When they reach fifteen their skirting around each other everyday. Connected to the hip, you can say, and when they got together its mostly by the mouth." Thalia and Clarisse shivered

"Yeah. You can't go one day at camp without seeing them making out. It gives me shivers..." Nico said gravely

"Oh well you haven't seen Annabeth push Percy against the wall."

"Please don't get into details." Clarisse said looking green

Percy blushed brick Crimson. I have a feeling mine's worse...

Campers laughed while Selina cooed

******Annabeth knew that expression. She saw it every time she looked in a mirror.**

******The two girls considered each other. Annabeth's friends fanned out on either side. The Romans murmured Jason's name, staring at him in awe.**

******Then someone else appeared from the crowd, and Annabeth's vision tunneled.**

The Stolls rubbed their hands together and readied the camera. Everyone else grinned and leaned forward. Percy and I groaned.

******Percy smiled at her—that sarcastic, troublemaker smile **

Percy frowned. "I understand the trouble maker but sarcastic? How can a smile even be sarcastic?"

I just rolled my eyes at him and prayed that this book wont say how long I've had a crush on him

******that had annoyed her for years **

Percy grinned "It annoyed you? I should do it more."

I stuck out my tongue at him while he made a face at me

******but eventually had become endearing.**

This book is getting better and better. Note the sarcasm.

Every else but me and Percy smiled mischievously.

I groaned, covered my face and braced myself

******His sea-green eyes were as gorgeous as she remembered. **

The Stools awed mockingly while Silena cooed sincerely.

Katie whacked them. "What's wrong with you? His eyes _are_ nice. It's like the ocean"

She covered her mouth and turned red. Connor grinned mischievously. Travis stared blankly.

"Looks like even Katie had a crush on Kelpy when they were thirteen." Thalia teased. Every one else except me and Percy teased her. I was busy thinking of something else

"Thalia, what do you mean _'even'_ Katie?" I narrowed my eyes at her

She looked at Nico "Should we spill?"

Nico nodded "She should be warned."

"Warned of what?"

"How hard your job is gonna be. 16-year-old Kelpy is a ladies man that is oblivious that he's a ladies man." Nico explained dryly

Percy laughed "Me? Attract girls? The world is ending."

Thalia grinned like she was ready for a trash talk "Kelp-head, one, it basically _is_ the end of the world and two, do you want a list of the girls attracted to you?"

"Lets hear it...but swear on the styx first its true." Percy challenged like he was really sure he doesn't attract the female population.

"I swear in the Styx that the list of girls I'm going to say has a crush on Percy." She swore confidently

"Start then"

"Katie Gardner, Drew Tanaka, Lacy I-don't-know-her-last-name, Every girl in the Aphrodite cabin-bar Silena, 3/4's of the girls in the Demeter Cabin, Half of Annabeth's sisters, All of the girls in the Hermes Cabin, All of Apollo's daughters, I think Zoe Nightshade had too, Most of the minor gods' daughters. Basically 80% of the girls in Camp Half-Blood not counting the nymphs. Nico, would you like to tell everyone about the mortal world?"

Nico smirked "My pleasure. Percy has two different fan clubs in Goode High. One with the popular clique another with the not-so-popular-clique. Those fan clubs don't count in his neighbors. The list we gave you doesn't include the nymphs who had a crush on him on CJ,and doesn't include the amazons who flirted with him" Nico finished

Percy was looking cute-I mean looking confused! Yeah confused! Like he expected Thalia and Nico to be shot by lightning. But it didn't happen. Meaning all those were true...*sigh* My life sucks

Connor raised his hand "You forgot someone!"

Nico and Thalia raised their eyebrow "No we didn't"

"You forgot Annabeth!" He stated proudly like its the best day of his life.

Nico looked at him seriously "No. Annabeth's different." huh?

"How so?" Connor asked

Thalia smiled fondly "Annabeth's in love with him. And Percy returns her feelings. Those aren't crushes. It's true love. I quote these words from Aphrodite herself when I talked to her once."

"AWWWWWWW!" Silena cooed. The others, to my surprise, smiled fondly. Percy was deep in thought.

I don't now whether to blush, glare or to be relieved. I feel embarrassed but suddenly ...happy. In fact I felt something spark inside me. Spark of recognition maybe? Am I really...?

I stared at Percy the same time as he also stared at me.

We stayed like that for 30 minutes? An hour? A day? a century? I didn't really care. None of the others bothered to interfere in the moment.

That was until Chiron came in... -_-

"Children, I'm here to announce that-"

"CHIRON!" everyone but me and Percy shouted

Only now did I realize that Percy and I are now sitting side by side, We both were leaning forward, our faces are like two inches apart, One of my hand was behind his neck pulling him slightly forward, one of his hands was on my waist pulling me closer, our eyes half closed. We didn't pull away, we just looked wide-eyed at Chiron.

He winced at the outburst then noticed Percy and I's position. He looked embarrassed.

"I take it that I just ruined a moment?" He asked sheepishly

Thalia groaned "Great! Now we have to wait for three years!"

Everyone else groaned, cursed and complained.

It was going on for about 5 minutes. Percy and I still haven't moved a muscle. With the last amount of courage I had I looked at Percy "You know, I don't plan for this to wait for three more years."

He looked at me and smiled "I was thinking the same thing."

We pulled each-other closer until our lips finally met. I lost track of the time again. All I know is that someone shouted "HOLY OLYMPUS!" then the cabin became quiet. I know there were eyes watching us. But I didn't care. I didn't feel anyone else at the world. Just me and him. _FINALLY._

When we came up for air and saw everyone's faces We tried our best not to burst out laughing.

Connor and Travis weren't moving. They were just staring at their camera that was directed at us like it was a diamond or something.

Katie, Lee and Pollux had their eyes wide and their mouth's were on the floor.

Clarisse had her eyes out of it's place and was muttering something like "wisegirl...kissed...prissy?" over and over again like she couldn't believe it.

Silena looked like she was dying by heat stroke but she was grinning

Hazel and Piper looked very touched by the scene and Jason was looking at Piper wistfully like _I can't wait to be a teenager so I can have a girlfriend. _But not in a lustful way.

Leo and Frank, although they averted their eyes, had shocked expressions plastered on their faces.

Beckendorf looked like his pride's been wounded _"How the Hephaestus did a thirteen-year-old-kid get the courage to kiss a girl earlier than me?" _He muttered

Grover grinned a frozen Cheshire cat grin.

Only Malcolm, Chiron, Thalia and Nico didn't look surprised. Like they new this would happen someday and it was today. Malcolm and Chiron averted their eyes but I knew they were smirking. Thalia and Nico smirked straight at us

Clarisse unfroze "You...we-were...m-m-m-making out with...Prissy f-f-f-for fi-fi-fi-fifteen minutes!" she spluttered

I noticed my current position. I somehow made it to his lap. My arms are around his neck. His arms are tied around my waist. Our hair's a mess. Our lips looked slightly swollen. Oh Gods we _had_ been making out...

Still not getting of Percy's lap I told Thalia to read although she was still slightly smirking.

******His dark hair was swept to one side, like he'd just come from a walk on the beach. He looked even better than he had six months ago—tanner and taller, leaner and more muscular.**

"Don't tell Drew that. She'll probably go crazy." Silena remarked dryly "She really likes him. Lustfully, that is."

I felt something stir inside me.

Campers near me-bar Percy-moved away from us for some reason

Percy tightened his grip against my waist.

Only now did I realize I was hissing.

I stopped and leaned against Percy.

Travis and Connor ware muttering something like 'This is the best day ever!' and started filming again

I don't really care. The campers were bound to notice sooner or later anyway.

******Annabeth was too stunned to move. She felt that if she got any closer to him, all the molecules in her body might combust. **

"Translation, Silena?" Thalia asked

"Molecule combustion...lets see" She thought for a moment then said "It means she thinks he's hot."

They all smirked at me. I rolled my eyes

******She'd secretly had a crush on him since they were twelve years old.**

So much for that hope it wouldn't be said but...oh well.

But I'm now starting to feel embarrassed my all the stares.

"Okay I had too." Percy admitted blushing lightly

Against my will, my eyes lit up "Really?" I asked excitedly. Oh my Gods, I'm turning into an Aphrodite girl...

He nodded. I kissed him on the cheek

"AWWWWW!" everyone cooed. Sincerely this time.

******Last summer, she'd fallen for him hard.**

Silena's eyes were shining and she has little tears falling out of her eyes.

"This is totally the best day of my life!"

******They'd been a happy couple for four months—and then he'd disappeared.**

I felt like somebody stabbed me. Disappeared?

I must've looked really anxious cause' Percy gripped my hand and gave it a squeeze. I smiled gratefully at him. Meanwhile, Thalia just had to comment

"Gods, you two. You've been together for like 20 minutes but you act like your married!" she exclaimed

we shrugged

******During their separation, something had happened to Annabeth's feelings. They'd grown painfully intense—like she'd been forced to withdraw from a life-saving medication. Now she wasn't sure which was more excruciating—living with that horrible absence, or being with him again.**

Percy started looking guilty

"It's not your fault." I told him

He improved. A little.

******The praetor Reyna straightened. With apparent reluctance, she turned toward Jason.**

"******Jason Grace, my former colleague …" She spoke the word colleague like it was a dangerous thing. "I welcome you home. And these, your friends—"**

******Annabeth didn't mean to, but she surged forward. **

Half of the cabin grinned

******Percy rushed toward her at the same time. **

The other half grinned too

******The crowd tensed. Some reached for swords that weren't there.**

"Cause two lovebirds that are about to make out are dangerous." Clarisse rolled her eyes

******Percy threw his arms around her. **

Everyone's grin became wider

******They kissed, and for a moment nothing else mattered. **

That's exactly the same thing I felt a while ago...

******An asteroid could have hit the planet and wiped out all life, and Annabeth wouldn't have cared.**

I found my hand brushing my lips as a remembrance of the kiss. My mouth formed into a smile.

No one saw me except Thalia who winked

******Percy smelled of ocean air. His lips were salty.**

"Are they really, Annabeth?" Travis asked innocently

"Well...yeah..." I answered through my blush

**Seaweed Brain, she thought giddily.**

"Oh no she's infected!" Leo screamed

"Infected by what?" Jason asked

"Aphrodite's Curse! Run for your lives!"

Leo, Connor, Travis, Beckendorf, Lee and Pollux hid behind Percy's bunk

We all rolled our eyes at them and dragged them by their ears to their seats.

******Percy pulled away and studied her face. "Gods, I never thought—"**

******Annabeth grabbed his wrist and flipped him over her shoulder.**

Percy suddenly burst out laughing.

We stared at him confusedly.

"Sorry, its just a so Annabeth thing to do!"

All the boys joined him. All the girls whacked them.

**He slammed into the stone pavement. Romans crie****d out. Some surged forward, but Reyna shouted, "Hold! Stand down!"**

******Annabeth put her knee on Percy's chest. She pushed her forearm against his throat.**

******She didn't care what the Romans thought. A white-hot lump of anger expanded in her chest—a tumor of worry and bitterness that she'd been carrying around since last autumn.**

I felt Percy's happy mood fade replaced by a frown "I'm so sorry." he whispered sincerely

I just kissed him and sat back down at his lap and held his hand, though I was also troubled

"******If you ever leave me again," she said, her eyes stinging, "I swear to all the gods—"**

******Percy had the nerve to laugh.**

"It looks like you don't change much, Perce."Beckendorf smiled

******Suddenly the lump of heated emotions melted inside Annabeth.**

"******Consider me warned," Percy said. "I missed you, too."**

******Annabeth rose and helped him to his feet. She wanted to kiss him again so badly, but she managed to restrain herself.**

"Don't hurt yourself, Annabeth" Nico joked. Everyone but Percy and I laughed. Clarisse the loudest

I smirked at Clarisse "Well if you find it very entertaining, Clarisse, then I wont restrain myself at all. We'll see how long you'll hold out..."

She stopped laughing and stared at me wide eyed and turned a little green

Everyone even Percy and I laughed at her

******Jason cleared his throat. "So, yeah .… It's good to be back."**

Thalia placed a hand on Jason's shoulder "You, my brother, are awkward with formalities."

Piper and Leo chuckled as Jason blushed

"Maybe I should get someone to tutor you, A charmspeaker, perhaps?" Thalia looked mischievously at Piper and Jason.

They turned red

"Thanks, sis...but...um...no thanks?" he answered hesitantly

We laughed at his uncomfortable state

******He introduced Reyna to Piper, who looked a little miffed that she hadn't gotten to say the lines she'd been practicing, then to Leo, who grinned and flashed a peace sign.**

"******And this is Annabeth," Jason said. "Uh, normally she doesn't judo-flip people."**

Everyone chuckled as I grinned

******Reyna's eyes sparkled. "You sure you're not a Roman, Annabeth? Or an Amazon?"**

******Annabeth didn't know if that was a compliment, but she held out her hand. "I only attack my boyfriend like that," she promised. "Pleased to meet you."**

"Really?" Connor and Travis perked up

I smirked again at them "Yes,and while he gets judo flips I'll be shoving my knife down your throats if you plan something unnecessary." I hissed at them

They gulped

******Reyna clasped her hand firmly. "It seems we have a lot to discuss. Centurions!"**

******A few of the Roman campers hustled forward—apparently the senior officers. Two kids appeared at Percy's side, the same ones Annabeth had seen him chumming around with earlier. The burly Asian guy with the buzz cut was about fifteen. He was cute in a sort of oversized-cuddly-panda-bear way. The girl was younger, maybe thirteen, with amber eyes and chocolate skin and long curly hair. Her cavalry helmet was tucked under her arm.**

"Hazel and Frank" Percy smiled. They smiled back

******Annabeth could tell from their body language that they felt close to Percy. They stood next to him protectively, like they'd already shared many adventures. **

The three of them grinned at each other

******She fought down a twinge of jealousy. **

Everyone raised an eyebrow at me while I'm sure I looked confused myself

******Was it possible Percy and this girl**…

"I just kissed you" Percy pointed out "And Hazel seems more like a sister to me. Even if I met her just a few hours ago" Hazel smiled gratefully at him

******no. The chemistry between the three of them wasn't like that. Annabeth had spent her whole life learning to read people. It was a survival skill. If she had to guess, she'd say the big Asian guy was the girl's boyfriend, though she suspected they hadn't been together long. **

Hazel and Frank blinked and blushed. Leo and the Stolls smiled mischievously while Nico frowned in an over-protective way.

******There was one thing she didn't understand: what was the girl staring at? She kept frowning in Piper and Leo's direction, like she recognized one of them and the memory was painful.**

Everyone looked at Hazel "Long story" Hazel sighed sadly

Frank rubbed her back comfortably and she smiled at him.

******Meanwhile, Reyna was giving orders to her officers. "… tell the legion to stand down. Dakota, alert the spirits in the kitchen. Tell them to prepare a welcome feast. And, Octavian—"**

Jason grimaced at the mention of the name

"******You're letting these intruders into the camp?" A tall guy with stringy blond hair elbowed his way forward. "Reyna, the security risks—"**

"******We're not taking them to the camp, Octavian." Reyna flashed him a stern look. "We'll eat here, in the forum."**

"******Oh, much better," Octavian grumbled.**

Now I see why Jason grimaced. This guys seems like a pain in the neck.

******He seemed to be the only one who didn't defer to Reyna as his superior, despite the fact that he was scrawny and pale and for some reason had three teddy bears hanging from his belt. "You want us to relax in the shadow of their warship."**

Leo narrowed his eyes, waiting for the guy to strike an insult

"******These are our guests." Reyna clipped off every word. "We will welcome them, and we will talk to them. As augur, you should burn an offering to thank the gods for bringing Jason back to us safely."**

"******Good idea," Percy put in. "Go burn your bears, Octavian."**

Jason laughed and fist-bumped Percy who grinned at him

******Reyna looked like she was trying not to smile. "You have my orders. Go."**

******The officers dispersed. Octavian shot Percy a look of absolute loathing. **

"Seems like I wont get along with him" Percy grinned like he was relieved he wasn't

******Then he gave Annabeth a suspicious once-over and stalked away.**

******Percy slipped his hand into Annabeth's. "Don't worry about Octavian," he said. "Most of the Romans are good people—like Frank and Hazel here, and Reyna. We'll be fine."**

"We hope you'll be" Chiron said

******Annabeth felt as if someone had draped a cold washcloth across her neck. She heard that whispering laughter again, as if the presence had followed her from the ship.**

******She looked up at the Argo II. Its massive bronze hull glittered in the sunlight. Part of her wanted to kidnap Percy right now, climb on board, and get out of here while they still could.**

******She couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to go terribly wrong. And there was no way she would ever risk losing Percy again.**

Percy squeezed my hand

"******We'll be fine," she repeated, trying to believe it.**

"******Excellent," Reyna said. She turned to Jason, and Annabeth thought there was a hungry sort of gleam in her eyes. "Let's talk, and we can have a proper reunion." **

"Done!" Thalia said

"Alright campers, as I was saying before it's time for dinner. Move along now, we'll continue later"

One by one the campers dispersed.

Percy and I walked to the mess hall hand-in-hand.

"So um, Annabeth?"

"Yeah?" I answered

"I've been wondering..." okay, scary line there

"About?"

"What does this" he gestured to our intertwined fingers "make me?" he said uncomfortably

"A seaweed brain and" I pecked him lightly "my boyfriend"

He grinned "I can live with that"

I shoved him lightly

When we reached the mess hall and were about to depart I pulled him by his collar "Don't I get a kiss first?"

He smiled leaned forward then...pecked me at the cheek. He grinned at my annoyance. He was about to get away again when I pulled him back and forcefully kissed him at the lips for 10 seconds.

"What was that about?" he asked

"Your kiss in my cheek sucked. Sides, I have a rite now, don't I?"

"Yep"

"Go on now, seaweed brain, I'll see you later."

He pecked again in the lips "Yeah, see ya" and went to the Poseidon table

I made my way through all the tables, ignoring some wolf-whistles from the other campers who saw what happened.

I sat down and was about to eat when I noticed all of my siblings except Malcolm, staring at me like I dropped of from Apollo's chariot

"What?"

"You're basically glowing, your radiating bliss, you have a big goofy smile at your face, and you just kissed Percy Jackson." My sister, Macey, summed up, sounding surprised

"Did you two get together?" Ashley asked

"Yeah" I answered like it was the most obvious expression ever

"..." They stared at me and grinned

I rolled my eyes and ate.

After dinner and some of the campers whispering congratulations (I don't know what's with them. They act like were getting married!) all the senior counselors went back to the Poseidon cabin.

The seating arrangement was: Thalia, then Nico, Leo, Hazel, Frank, Percy, me on Percy's lap, Jason, Piper, Grover, Connor, Clarisse, Travis, Katie, Pollux, Lee, Silena, Beckendorf then Malcolm

"I'll read" Nico volunteered. Thalia tossed him the book

Nico was about to read when A bright light appeared in front of Nico

******HEY GUYS!**

******SORRY ITS BEEN LONG, I'VE BEEN PRETTY TIRED AND BUSY THESE DAYS CAUSE I'M WORKING (YES, A TWELVE YEAR OLD GIRL WORKING. I SWEAR IN THE STYX I AM) **

******BUT YOUR REVIEW INSPIRED ME TO CONTINUE THE STORY SO...HERE IT IS!**

******SO IN CASE YOUR WONDERING WHY I GOT PERCY AND ANNABETH TOGETHER AT THEIR AGE OF THIRTEEN ITS BECAUSE...NOTHING I JUST FEEL LIKE DOING IT. BESIDES, WASN'T SADIE KANE ALSO THIRTEEN WHEN SHE STARTED DATING WALT/ANUBIS?**

******OKAY SO HERE'S YOUR SPOILER: SOMEONE (17 years old) FROM THE DARKEST PIT OF HELL IS COMING. SO BRACE YOURSELVES...**

******YOURS IN DEMIGODISHNESS, IAMANAIADGLADTOSERVEU**

******PEACE OUT AGAIN TILL CHAPTER III!**


	4. Chapter 4

Percy's POV

When the light died it revealed a black circular portal

We all stared at it cautiously.

A few seconds later, a girl stepped out

She looked about seventeen years old, with curly blonde hair and very exhausted gray eyes-wait... what was my description again?

Oh by my father's trident... :0

Her clothes were in tatters. Her hair was a mess and she had bruises all over her body.

Thalia and Nico stood up abruptly, staring wide eyed at her.

She collapsed from exhaustion

"Annabeth!" Thalia shrieked. She and Nico caught her before her head hit the ground.

"Lee, you and Will, wait at the infirmary. Go, we'll carry her there." Nico said. Lee sprinted at top speed.

I gently placed Annabeth, who was staring wide eyed at her future self, off my lap as I rushed to help Thalia and Nico carry her. I got her shoulders, Nico her feet and Thalia her middle body. When we got out of the cabin everyone else followed. We placed her at one of the beds in the infirmary.

She stirred when we laid her down

Her eyes fixed at Thalia "Thalia?...where are we?" she asked weakly

Annabeth from my time rushed beside me and gripped my hand.

"Annabeth," Thalia said gently "Your at the big house now. Your safe. What happ-"

"Where's Percy?" she asked tiredly

We figured she was meaning my future self

When no one answered her she asked again but her tired tone became hard "Where. Is. Percy?" She asked glaring at Thalia who stepped back in surprise

"Annabeth, we don't know. You somehow got here by yourself in the middle of-"

"What no! I have to get back there!" She screamed as she hastily got out of the bed only to stumble

"Annabeth, going back to wherever you came from is suicide! Look at you! You look like you were ran over by a truck!" Nico reasoned

Annabeth glared at him "I have to get back. At least get him out. Do you know _any way _to-" she stopped abruptly like she remembered something

Then she sobbed "Oh no."

Thalia put an arm around her "Annabeth, relax. Shh. Now tell us what happened so we can get Kelp-Head out of ...wherever you two were."

"The fates are cruel, Thalia, there so cruel!" Annabeth rasped

"That doesn't make any sense!" Nico complained

After a few minutes Annabeth calmed down a bit. "Percy..." she said while shaking her head.

"Annabeth, what happened to my cousin?" Thalia asked a bit firmly this time

"I saw it, Thalia. I saw everything...It hurts to watch but they forced me to. They-they chained him to a wall. They whipped him. They stabbed him. They wounded his whole body. They tortured him!" She screamed furiously

We all had horrified looks on our face. Nico, Thalia, Jason, Piper, Leo, Frank, Hazel and Beckendorf looked outraged. Silena, Katie, Clarisse,and Will gasped. Lee, Travis and Connor looked at me, mortified. Annabeth whimpered then hugged me fiercely and buried her head on my shoulder. I hugged her tightly too in horror.

"Annabeth, who. Tortured. my. Cousin?" Nico asked in a dangerously calm tone. Shadows, sparks of lightning, metals, red, pink, orange, green, gray, and gold light danced around the room, The weather suddenly became sour, shades danced around the infirmary, The plants in any kind around the room grew incredibly sharp thorns, the fire in the hearth grew dangerously high, All the metallic things seemed to form a tornado, the light bulb grew brighter until it exploded to pieces, all the animals at camp run loose.

Annabeth answered "Them...All of them! They tortured him every other hour! Then heal him with water so they can torture him again...He -he..."she broke down again

"Snap out of it and tell us what happened!" Thalia yelled. I guess it was a bit rude but she looked worried beyond belief.

"The titans, all the monsters. Every single one he killed. They did it!" Thalia's hands on Annabeth's shoulder went slack. She stared at her mortified.

"How did you get out?" Jason asked

Annabeth blinked then stared at him "Jason...is that you? But you look like 11!"

Then her eyes wandered around the room. She examined everyone's faces in wonder then her gaze landed on me. Her look became painful and guilty. With obvious pain, she turned to Thalia "What happened?"

She explained the sent-back-in-time concept. It was clear that Annabeth wasn't listening but Thalia kept explaining. Maybe in hope that something she might say will distract her but Annabeth keeps staring at the wall.

When Thalia finished Annabeth mumbled something. Thalia frowned "What was that?"

"Stupid seaweed brain and his immortally damned fatal flaw..." a few of us smiled while the rest frowned

"What stupid thing did he do this time?" Nico asked

"He was about to save him..." she muttered

"Who?" Grover perked up

"Apollo and the fates. They were about to get him out..." she mumbled sadly

"And?"

Annabeth took a deep breath then said in a pained, forced voice "The fates came and slew the guards on watch at that particular hour. They released him from his bonds and offered him to escape first since he was the one tortured."

"Yes, and?" Nico prompted

"There was a catch. The portal they made only brings one person at a time...He didn't want to leave me. Instead of going with the fates he took out riptide and released me...He made a deal with them." she mumbled in pain

"What was the deal?" Frank asked looking more horrified by the minute

"The deal is that he is going to stay behind and be tortured until they get back while I go to the portal and be freed."

For a few minutes no one moved. No one spoke. Annabeth from this time sobbed on my chest. I held her close.

"I don't know how long will he hold out." Annabeth whispered dejectedly

Nico suddenly gasped "No! No,No, NO!" he said shredding hysterical tears

Thalia became alarmed "Nico, what's with you?"

"Percy's life aura is fading!" he screamed.

Annabeth held me more tightly

Thalia looked mortified than ever. She gripped Nico by the collar and spoke "You better be serious, di Angelo!"

"I am! He's dying! He has to get out before its too late!"

Thalia's face went slack then she broke down sobbing with a few others

Annabeth shouted "How long can he hold?"

Nico gulped "Maybe an hour."

Annabeth sobbed and went out the room. We followed her. She stopped by the porch then screamed out the sky "THIS IS YOUR FAULT! OUT OF EVERY CHILDREN WHY ME?! YOU NEVER APPROVED OF HIM NOW HIS DYING BECAUSE OF YOUR STUPID SOLO QUEST! HE'S IN PAIN NOW BECAUSE YOUR GETTING ME TO FIX WHAT YOUR PRIDE DID! IF HE DIES IT WILL BE ON YOUR HANDS, _MOTHER_!"

She knelt at the porch and sobbed "It's our fault...that was supposed to be my fate..."

Suddenly, a bright light appeared in front of Annabeth.

Everyone held their breaths.

Out of the portal, three old ladies- the fates- carried a 17-year-old guy with black hair and whoa...that's me. Oh gods he looked he had been worse than Annabeth. He's bruised all over, his clothes are ripped and bloody, he had burns and boils all over his body, his eyes were rolled back.

"PERCY!" Annabeth screamed as she run to the him. She helped the fates carry him.

They placed future me in a bed.

One of the fates spoke "The sacrifice he made almost cost his life. We got him out before all is too late. Son of Apollo, heal him and continue your task." with that they disappeared.

Will called all of his siblings and told us to go out for a moment.

As we waited, Annabeth from our time (AJ) still is shaken. She's still crying on me. Luckily I don't get wet unless I want to.

"Shh. I'll be fine Annabeth. Look, the Apollo cabin is curing me now."

"I thought I lost you..." She spoke softly "When Nico told us that your aura is fading, I thought I'd never see you again."

"Hey, you'll never lose me. I'll be beside you when you need me. But you'll all be safe too. I'd face a thousand monsters to keep you and everyone I care for safe."

"That's the problem. You don't know_ self-preservation."_ she said, deadly serious

"Look, its not important now. Let's freak out about this in four years, okay?" She nodded. I kissed her forehead and held her tight.

Nico suddenly sighed in relief "At least his aura's back now." Everyone else released their breath

Will came out of the door. We crowded around him.

"Everyone, Percy's fine...I guess. His fatal wounds are now healed. He'll survive. Ambrosia and Nectar did most of the trick but not everything was healed. And I must say he left quite a nice impression to my sisters" Big Annabeth hissed then stormed in the room. Half of a minute later the Apollo girls ran outside the infirmary screaming. Everyone laughed, releasing the tension.

A sea breeze came across the infirmary, suddenly dad was standing beside me. When he saw me, he hugged me tightly that he almost cracked my ribs.

"Um...hi, dad?"

"Percy, I heard what happened. Let me see if I can heal your future self's wounds." Will nodded at dad and they entered the room.

A few minutes later, Will came out and told us that we could come in.

When we entered, most big me's wounds are gone now except for a few that were wrapped in bandages.

Dad snapped his fingers then suddenly future me's clothes changed into a loose, white buttoned up shirt, only that the buttons weren't closed so the wounds could heal easily also showing his eight pack. His jeans turned into loose black pants. His face was now cleaned from blood so it showed his perfectly chiseled face. I had a hard time believing _he_ was _me_

All the girls-including Clarisse but not Thalia- inhaled sharply.

AJ blinked many times and held me closer.

Silena blinked and averted her eyes "Annabeth, he looks...godly." AJ glared at her. Silena cleared her throat "I better get out of here before I do something I'll regret." She left the room

"So do I" Katie and Clarisse said.

They left all the boys snickering. The girls left in the room just averted their eyes-trying hard not to stare I can tell.

Big Annabeth sighed "Why does he have this effect to every girl who sees him? He makes my job harder" The boys behind me snickered. AJ and I glared at them. Dad patted Annabeth on the back "Don't worry. He wont leave you even if it means his life." She smiled at him. "Thank you, dad." Poseidon looked surprised but smiled

"Whoa-wait dad?" Malcolm blinked

"In the future. When Percy went missing, he comforted me one time in my cabin and told me it's okay if I called him dad." AS (Annabeth Senior) explained

"I don't really hold a grudge at Athena or her children. In fact I've been apologizing for three thousand, nine hundred eighty-seven years! She still hasn't forgiven me for some reason but..." he shrugged

"How about we continue reading while I'm on my break? I imagine that Percy will be awake tomorrow at best" Dad suggested.

Travis rushed back to the cabin to get the book and call back the girls then handed the book to Nico

**"********Annabeth III,"** Nico Read

"My point of view?" AS asked

We nodded.

She groaned

******Annabeth wished she had an appetite, because the Romans knew how to eat.**

"Not as much as this guy over here. You should see him eat! He ate barbeque, sausage, hot dog, ham, bacon, sandwich, pizza, soda. Urgh!" Annabeth Sr. complained but she said it fondly while running her fingers through PS's hair.

******Sets of couches and low tables were carted into the forum until it resembled a furniture showroom. Romans lounged in groups of ten or twenty, talking and laughing while wind spirits—aurae—swirled overhead, bringing an endless assortment of pizzas, sandwiches, chips, cold drinks, and fresh-baked cookies.**

******Drifting through the crowd were purple ghosts—Lares—in togas and legionnaire armor. **

Jason paled "Please don't tell me Vitellus is in there..."

******Around the edges of the feast, satyrs (no, fauns, Annabeth thought) trotted from table to table, panhandling for food and spare change. **

Grover's jaw dropped and he bleated an irritated sound "Pan handling? Jason, tell me that's not true!"

Jason rubbed the back of his head "Sorry, Grover, but fauns are hugely different from satyrs, personality-wise, that is..."

Grover was frozen, looking horrified

******In the nearby fields, the war elephant frolicked with Mrs. O'Leary, and children played tag around the statues of Terminus that lined the city limits.**

Jason and Nico smiled fondly. When Thalia and I saw this, we frowned. I think we both understood about Jason, but Nico?

******The whole scene was so familiar yet so completely alien that it gave Annabeth vertigo.**

******All she wanted to do was be with Percy—preferably alone.**

The immature boys in the cabin wolf-whistled, the others who have _some_ dignity were snickering. While dad winked at me.

"Percy, do I have to give you 'the talk'?" He asked

I stared at him wide-eyed and then everyone laughed at my expression

******She knew she would have to wait. **

"Unfortunately" AS sighed

******If their quest was going to succeed, they needed these Romans, which meant getting to know them and building some goodwill.**

AS was grumbling things that were inaudible

******Reyna and a few of her officers (including the blond kid Octavian, freshly back from burning a teddy bear for the gods) **

Jason and I snickered

******sat with Annabeth and her crew. Percy joined them with his two new friends, Frank and Hazel.**

We smiled at each other

******As a tornado of food platters settled onto the table, Percy leaned over and whispered, "I want to show you around New Rome. Just you and me. The place is incredible."**

******Annabeth should've felt thrilled. Just you and me was exactly what she wanted. Instead, resentment swelled in her throat. How could Percy talk so enthusiastically about this place? What about Camp Half-Blood—their camp, their home?**

My jaw dropped "You would seriously think like that? I'd never abandon you or Camp Half-Blood. Over my dead body will they make me!"

My friends (basically everyone on the room) smiled at me

******She tried not to stare at the new marks on Percy's forearm—an SPQR tattoo like Jason's. At Camp Half-Blood, demigods got bead necklaces to commemorate years of training. Here, the Romans burned a tattoo into your flesh, as if to say: You belong to us. Permanently.**

"No, it doesn't mean that way. It better not mean that way." I growled at the book. AJ rubbed my arm soothingly. I calmed down a little

**She swallowed back some biting comments. "Okay. Sure."**

**"I've been thinking," he said nervously. "I had this idea—"**

They raised their eyebrows at me while I just stared at them blankly. I don't know what it means either...

******He stopped as Reyna called a toast to friendship.**

"Toast to friendship my _podex" _Annabeth Sr. grumbled

******After introductions all around, the Romans and Annabeth's crew began exchanging stories. Jason explained how he'd arrived at Camp Half-Blood without his memory, and how he'd gone on a quest with Piper and Leo to rescue the goddess Hera (or Juno, take your pick—she was equally annoying in Greek or Roman)**

"You know what, considering what she did to me and you, I should've left her there..." Jason said musingly.

"It would be too good to be true if you actually did leave her there." Jason and I grinned along with Thalia.

******from imprisonment at the Wolf House in northern California.**

Jason's grin turned to a scowl "The Wolf House? How did the giants even get there?! It's a place sacred to Roman Demigods! And the ground is under Lupa's protection!"

"******Impossible!" Octavian broke in. "That's our most sacred place. If the giants had imprisoned a goddess there—"**

"******They would've destroyed her," Piper said. "And blamed it on the Greeks, and started a war between the camps. Now, be quiet and let Jason finish."**

"I really love your Charmspeak!" Jason, Annabeth, Hazel, Frank, Leo and I said together.

We looked at each other strangely, including Piper, then burst out laughing.

******Octavian opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Annabeth really loved Piper's charmspeak.**

******She noticed Reyna looking back and forth between Jason and Piper, her brow creased, as if just beginning to realize the two of them were a couple.**

Jason raised an eyebrow at this like _What's wrong with that?_

"******So," Jason continued, "that's how we found out about the earth goddess Gaea. She's still half asleep, but she's the one freeing the monsters from Tartarus and raising the giants. Porphyrion, the big leader dude we fought at the Wolf House: he said he was retreating to the ancient lands—Greece itself. He plans on awakening Gaea and destroying the gods by … what did he call it? Pulling up their roots."**

"Bad..." Dad mumbled thoughtfully, shaking his head

******Percy nodded thoughtfully. "Gaea's been busy over here, too. We had our own encounter with Queen Dirt Face."**

The crew of the Argo II grinned at me

******Percy recounted his side of the story. He talked about waking up at the Wolf House with no memories **

Everybody, especially Thalia and Nico frowned at that, Poseidon became more worried.

******except for one name—Annabeth.**

Faster than lightning, someone's lips crashed into mine as everyone cooed. I had no choice but to kiss back and hold her tightly. When we broke apart, Dad was smirking and AS was looking at us confused, but Thalia explained what happened a while ago, then she smiled. "You know I would also kiss this guy over here" she gestured to big me "if he wasn't unconscious but...I guess I have to wait." She said wistfully

******When she heard that, Annabeth had to try hard not to cry.**

AJ kissed me again. Silena and Katie were crying from the 'cuteness' they say. Clarisse just grinned at me. Grover and dad were smirking at us. Jason, Frank, Leo and Lee just smiled. Travis and Conor were doing the usual: recording. Nico and Thalia, to my surprise, were tearing up a little. Annabeth Sr. was looking us wistfully

******Percy told them how he'd traveled to Alaska with Frank and Hazel—how they'd defeated the giant Alcyoneus, freed the death god Thanatos, and returned with the lost golden eagle standard of the Roman camp to repel an attack by the giants' army.**

"Y-you r-r-returned the e-e-eagle?" Jason stuttered in fascination

"Oh so you met Thanatos?" Nico said casually while examining his nails

"Do you want to hear the whole story?" AS asked.

We all nodded. "I'll tell you at the campfire." she promised "The adventure was quite enchanting to know actually. It involves wolves, a dinghy and a flying encyclopedia...but you'll see later."

******When Percy had finished, Jason whistled appreciatively. "No wonder they made you praetor."**

******Octavian snorted. "Which means we now have three praetors! The rules clearly state we can only have two!"**

"Holy Olympus, will that guy ever shut up?" Frank asked annoyed

"Try living with him for nine years." Jason said dryly

"******On the bright side," Percy said, "both Jason and I outrank you, Octavian. So we can both tell you to shut up."**

Every boy in the room gave me a fist bump

******Octavian turned as purple as a Roman T-shirt. Jason gave Percy a fist bump.**

******Even Reyna managed a smile, though her eyes were stormy.**

"******We'll have to figure out the extra praetor problem later," she said. "Right now we have more serious issues to deal with."**

"******I'll step aside for Jason," Percy said easily. "It's no biggie."**

Jason choked "No biggie? The praetorship of Rome is no biggie? Dude, its like being a king or an emperor!"

I shrugged "I'm not really the always-in-charge-kind, that's usually my girlfriend." I felt both Annabeths smile and blush. "No, I never wanted to rule anything. Just with the great prophesy that I have now has me shaking. I don't want the world to depend on me."

Jason nodded that he understood

"******No biggie?" Octavian choked. "The praetorship of Rome is no biggie?"**

I laughed as Jason looked disgusted

******Percy ignored him and turned to Jason. "You're Thalia Grace's brother, huh? Wow. You guys look nothing alike."**

"We're awesome like that" Thalia said as she ruffled Jason's hair

"Thalia!" he whined while fixing his hair.

Thalia laughed

"******Yeah, I noticed," Jason said. "Anyway, thanks for helping my camp while I was gone. You did an awesome job."**

"******Back at you," Percy said.**

Jason and I smiled at each other

******Annabeth kicked his shin. She hated to interrupt a budding bromance, but Reyna was right: they had serious things to discuss. "We should talk about the Great Prophecy. It sounds like the Romans are aware of it too?"**

******Reyna nodded. "We call it the Prophecy of Seven. Octavian, you have it committed to memory?"**

"******Of course," he said. "But, Reyna—"**

"******Recite it, please. In English, not Latin."**

******Octavian sighed. "Seven half-bloods shall answer the call. To storm or fire the world must fall—"**

"******An oath to keep with a final breath," Annabeth continued. "And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death."**

Jason looked shocked "_That_ prophesy? I'm in _that_ prophesy?" he asked horrified.

"It seems like it, nephew. So is my son..." Dad said looking worried. He cares? for me?

******Everyone stared at her—except for Leo, who had constructed a pinwheel out of aluminum foil taco wrappers and was sticking it into passing wind spirits.**

Leo grinned while everyone else rolled their eyes

******Annabeth wasn't sure why she had blurted out the lines of the prophecy. She'd just felt compelled.**

******The big kid, Frank, sat forward, staring at her in fascination, as if she'd grown a third eye.**

"******Is it true you're a child of Min—I mean, Athena?"**

"******Yes," she said, suddenly feeling defensive. "Why is that such a surprise?"**

"Sorry Annabeth but Athena's Roman form, Minerva, isn't really...um, expected to have kids since she is one of the virgin goddesses. None of us meant to offend you." Jason said a little shamefully

"Thanks for the warning, Jason." was only AJ's reply

******Octavian scoffed. "If you're truly a child of the wisdom goddess—"**

"Well maybe Octavian." Jason said bitterly

"Oh my gods, Octavian, shut up already!" I yelled at the book version of Octavian, feeling protective. Annabeth gripped my hand tighter

"******Enough," Reyna snapped. "Annabeth is what she says. She's here in peace. Besides …" She gave Annabeth a look of grudging respect. "Percy has spoken highly of you."**

AS sighed while holding bigger me's hand

******The undertones in Reyna's voice took Annabeth a moment to decipher.**

AJ suddenly looked surprised, then outraged.

"What?" I asked

She didn't reply. She just glared at the book.

******Percy looked down, suddenly interested in his cheeseburger.**

Silena gasped in realization, then like Annabeth, glared at the book.

******Annabeth's face felt hot. Oh, gods … Reyna had tried to make a move on Percy. **

Oh...

Thalia, Nico and Malcolm glared at the book

I looked at Annabeth, who was on my lap, only to find her seething.

I turned her chin around and kissed her slowly. When I did she started to close her eyes. I sent Nico a look that said continue, then resumed kissing her

******That explained the tinge of bitterness, maybe even envy, in her words. Percy had turned her down for Annabeth.**

When she heard this she started to kiss me more passionately.

******At that moment, Annabeth forgave her ridiculous boyfriend for everything he'd ever done wrong.**

******She wanted to throw her arms around him, but she commanded herself to stay cool.**

Well this time she actually did throw her arms around me...only to be interrupted yet again by the one and only:

"Children, campfire starts in-"

"CHIRON! NOT AGAIN!" everyone groaned. Major face-palm moment, I'm telling you that

Chiron winced like he did last time, then saw us again, then looked more embarrassed.

"Don't tell me I ruined it again." He sighed

Dad looked like he was trying hard not to laugh "You have to work on your timings, brother." he chuckled.

Chiron just raised his hands in resignation and chuckled.

He sat down as Nico reluctantly resumed reading

"******Uh, thanks," she told Reyna. "At any rate, some of the prophecy is becoming clear. Foes bearing arms to the Doors of Death … that means Romans and Greeks. We have to combine forces to find those doors."**

Everyone nodded gravely

******Hazel, the girl with the cavalry helmet and the long curly hair, picked up something next to her plate. It looked like a large ruby; **

"Don't ask." Hazel said seriously before anyone can speak.

******but before Annabeth could be sure, Hazel slipped it into the pocket of her denim shirt.**

"******My brother, Nico, went looking for the doors," she said.**

Thalia narrowed her eyes at Nico, who was sweating nervously while reading

"******Wait," Annabeth said. "Nico di Angelo? He's your brother?"**

******Hazel nodded as if this were obvious. **

"NICO DI ANGELO, HOW THE HADES DOES SHE KNOW YOU? YOU'VE BEEN TO THE CAMP ALL THIS TIME BUT YOU DIDN'T SAY A WORD TO US ABOUT WHERE PERCY IS?!" Thalia yelled so loud it was a miracle that big me still hasn't stirred.

Nico looked down. "Look Thalia, Annabeth, I'm sorry but my father told me not to tell anyone of you where camp Jupiter is...And the last time I went there, Percy still wasn't there."

"Thalia, it's fine. Let it go." Annabeth Sr. said.

Thalia reluctantly sat down but still glared at Nico

"I just realized something!" Malcolm stated

"What?"

"Nico is Hazel's brother, right? So that means..."

"That Hazel is a child of Hades-I mean Pluto." Annabeth Jr. finished

Thalia, Jason, and I grinned "Welcome to the club, cousin Hazel!"

Hazel just chuckled and nodded at us

******A dozen more questions crowded into Annabeth's head, but it was already spinning like Leo's pinwheel. She decided to let the matter go. "Okay. You were saying?"**

"******He disappeared." **

Thalia and I narrowed our eyes "Disappeared?"

******Hazel moistened her lips. "I'm afraid … I'm not sure, but I think something's happened to him."**

"Don't worry, Nico, we'll find you or we'll die trying to." I told a nervous-looking Nico. He smiled gratefully

"******We'll look for him," Percy promised. "We have to find the Doors of Death anyway. Thanatos told us we'd find both answers in Rome—like, the original Rome. That's on the way to Greece, right?"**

Annabeth Jr, Sr, and Malcolm nodded

"******Thanatos told you this?" Annabeth tried to wrap her mind around that idea. "The death god?"**

******She'd met many gods. She'd even been to the Underworld; but Percy's story about freeing the incarnation of death itself really creeped her out.**

Many of the campers nodded

******Percy took a bite of his burger. "Now that Death is free, monsters will disintegrate and return to Tartarus again like they used to. But as long as the Doors of Death are open, they'll just keep coming back."**

******Piper twisted the feather in her hair. "Like water leaking through a dam," she suggested.**

Thalia smiled

"******Yeah." Percy smiled. "We've got a dam hole."**

Thalia suddenly started snickering.

We stared at her

"Sorry, inside joke. I wish Kelp-head Sr is awake..." She looked sadly at future me

"******What?" Piper asked.**

"******Nothing," he said. "Inside joke. **

Thalia smiled sadly again like she was remembering old memories

******The point is we'll have to find the doors and close them before we can head to Greece. It's the only way we'll stand a chance of defeating the giants and making sure they stay defeated."**

******Reyna plucked an apple from a passing fruit tray. She turned it in her fingers, studying the dark red surface. "You propose an expedition to Greece in your warship. You do realize that the ancient lands—and the Mare Nostrum—are dangerous?"**

"Mary who?" We all chorused except for AS, Jason,dad and Chiron who all looked grim

Nico stared at us weirdly

"What?"I asked

"******Mary who?" Leo asked.**

We stared at Leo. He shrugged while we chuckled

"******Mare Nostrum," Jason explained. "Our Sea. It's what the Ancient Romans called the Mediterranean."**

Jason nodded

******Reyna nodded. "The territory that was once the Roman Empire is not only the birthplace of the gods. It's also the ancestral home of the monsters, Titans and giants … and worse things. As dangerous as travel is for demigods here in America, there it would be ten times worse."**

"******You said Alaska would be bad," Percy reminded her. "We survived that."**

"Its much more dangerous than that,son" Dad said

******Reyna shook her head. Her fingernails cut little crescents into the apple as she turned it. "Percy, traveling in the Mediterranean is a different level of danger altogether. It's been off limits to Roman demigods for centuries. No hero in his right mind would go there."**

"But we're all crazy, right?" Travis grinned

Some of us nodded while the others shook their heads

"******Then we're good!" Leo grinned over the top of his pinwheel. **"******Because we're all crazy, right? Besides, the Argo II is a top-of-the-line warship. She'll get us through."**

Leo looked up smugly

"******We'll have to hurry," Jason added. "I don't know exactly what the giants are planning, but Gaea is growing more conscious all the time. She's invading dreams, appearing in weird places, summoning more and more powerful monsters. We have to stop the giants before they can wake her up fully."**

Chiron and dad shook their heads in distress

******Annabeth shuddered. She'd had her own share of nightmares lately.**

I held her tighter. She tightened her grip around my neck, pulling herself closer

"******Seven half-bloods must answer the call," she said. "It needs to be a mix from both our camps. Jason, Piper, Leo, and me. That's four."**

"******And me," Percy said. "Along with Hazel and Frank. That's seven."**

Chiron sighed "That's another prophesy for you, Percy." he said sadly

Dad choked "Another?"

When Chiron told him that according to the letter I was the child of the prophesy, Dad melted to a puddle of water.

"Um, Is Lord Poseidon going to be alright?" Piper asked

"He's fine. He's just like that when he's stressed. Carry on reading."

"******What?" Octavian shot to his feet. "We're just supposed to accept that? Without a vote in the senate? Without a proper debate? Without—"**

"******Percy!"**

******Tyson the Cyclops bounded toward them with Mrs. O'Leary at his heels. **

I smiled

******On the hellhound's back sat the skinniest harpy Annabeth had ever seen—a sickly-looking girl with stringy red hair, a sackcloth dress, and red-feathered wings.**

"Ella" AS murmured

******Annabeth didn't know where the harpy had come from, but her heart warmed to see Tyson in his tattered flannel and denim with the backward SPQR banner across his chest. She'd had some pretty bad experiences with Cyclopes, but Tyson was a sweetheart. He was also Percy's half brother (long story), which made him almost like family.**

"AWWWW" everyone cooed

******Tyson stopped by their couch and wrung his meaty hands. His big brown eye was full of concern. "Ella is scared," he said.**

"******N-n-no more boats," the harpy muttered to herself, picking furiously at her feathers. "Titanic, Lusitania, Pax … boats are not for harpies."**

******Leo squinted. He looked at Hazel, who was seated next to him. "Did that chicken girl just compare my ship to the Titanic?"**

All of us Argonauts looked horrified at the thought of the titanic happening to us

The rest laughed at our faces

"Yes and Percy and Annabeth can be Jack and Rose!" Connor teased

I raised my eyebrows at him "I can't drown. The water temperature doesn't affect me. And I can create everyone there an air bubble."

He just regarded me like I just said '_I want to be best friends with Ares!'_

I sighed and shook my head at him

**"********She's not a chicken." Hazel averted her ********eyes, as if Leo made her nervous. "Ella's a harpy. She's just a little … high-strung."**

"******Ella is pretty," Tyson said.**

I grinned when I heard that

******"And scared. We need to take her away, but she will not go on the ship."**

"******No ships," Ella repeated. She looked straight at Annabeth. "Bad luck. There she is.**

"Excuse me?" AJ asked

******Wisdom's daughter walks alone—"**

"******Ella!" Frank stood suddenly. "Maybe it's not the best time—"**

"******The Mark of Athena burns through Rome," Ella continued, cupping her hands over her ears and raising her voice. "Twins snuff out the angel's breath, Who holds the key to endless death. Giants' bane stands gold and pale, Won through pain from a woven jail."**

Everyone was silent. Chiron looked pained. I hugged Annabeth closer. AS buried her head in her hands.

******The effect was like someone dropping a flash grenade on the table. Everyone stared at the harpy. No one spoke. Annabeth's heart was pounding. The Mark of Athena … She resisted the urge to check her pocket, but she could feel the silver coin growing warmer—the cursed gift from her mother.**

Malcolm and I became worried

******Follow the Mark of Athena. Avenge me.**

"Avenge her?" I asked. No one answered

******Around them, the sounds of the feast continued, but muted and distant, as if their little cluster of couches had slipped into a quieter dimension.**

******Percy was the first to recover. He stood and took Tyson's arm.**

"******I know!" he said with feigned enthusiasm. "How about you take Ella to get some fresh air? You and Mrs. O'Leary—"**

"******Hold on." Octavian gripped one of his teddy bears, strangling it with shaking hands. His eyes fixed on Ella. "What was that she said? It sounded like—"**

"Oh no...Yes you have to protect her" Jason said firmly

"Why?" Connor asked

"She's a harpy that recites prophesies. Octavian will want her in his custody. And I don't think that's good for Ella."

"We'll get her out of Camp right away." I told him. He nodded

"******Ella reads a lot," Frank blurted out. "We found her at a library."**

"******Yes!" Hazel said. "Probably just something she read in a book."**

"******Books," Ella muttered helpfully. "Ella likes books."**

"You mean she..." Jason asked AS with wide eyes.

She nodded. Jason gaped

******Now that she'd said her piece, the harpy seemed more relaxed. She sat cross-legged on Mrs. O'Leary's back, preening her wings.**

******Annabeth gave Percy a curious glance. Obviously, he and Frank and Hazel were hiding something. Just as obviously, Ella had recited a prophecy—a prophecy that concerned her.**

******Percy's expression said, ****__****Help.**

"******That was a prophecy," Octavian insisted. "It sounded like a prophecy."**

******No one answered.**

******Annabeth wasn't exactly sure what was going on, but she understood that Percy was on the verge of ********big trouble.**

******She forced a laugh. "Really, Octavian? Maybe harpies are different here, on the Roman side. Ours have just enough intelligence to clean cabins and cook lunches. Do yours usually foretell the future? Do you consult them for your auguries?"**

"Thanks." I whispered to her.

"No problem, babe" she whispered back

Wow. I knew she was just teasing but that word made my stomach do somersaults

******Her words had the intended effect. The Roman officers laughed nervously. Some sized up Ella, then looked at Octavian and snorted. The idea of a chicken lady issuing prophecies was apparently just as ridiculous to Romans as it was to Greeks.**

The campers snorted. Some high-fived AJ

"******I, uh…" Octavian dropped his teddy bear. "No, but—"**

"******She's just spouting lines from some book," Annabeth said, "like Hazel suggested. Besides, we already have a real prophecy to worry about."**

Connor and Travis gave her a thumbs up and a grin

******She turned to Tyson. "Percy's right. Why don't you take Ella and Mrs. O'Leary and shadow-travel somewhere for a while. Is Ella okay with that?"**

"'******Large dogs are good,'" Ella said. "Old Yeller, 1957, screenplay by Fred Gipson and William Tunberg."**

Malcolm suddenly looked interested at Ella

******Annabeth wasn't sure how to take that answer, but Percy smiled like the problem was solved.**

"******Great!" Percy said. "We'll Iris-message you guys when we're done and catch up with you later."**

******The Romans looked at Reyna, waiting for her ruling. Annabeth held her breath.**

******Reyna had an excellent poker face. She studied Ella, but Annabeth couldn't guess what she was thinking.**

"******Fine," the praetor said at last. "Go."**

"******Yay!" Tyson went around the couches and gave everyone a big hug—even Octavian, who didn't look happy about it.**

"You need to introduce me to your brother." Leo grinned. I laughed and nodded "Next time."

******Then he climbed on Mrs. O'Leary's back with Ella, and the hellhound bounded out of the forum. They dove straight into a shadow on the Senate House wall and disappeared.**

"******Well." Reyna set down her uneaten apple. "Octavian is right about one thing. We must gain the senate's approval before we let any of our legionnaires go on a quest—especially one as dangerous as you're suggesting."**

"******This whole thing smells of treachery," Octavian grumbled. "That trireme is not a ship of peace!"**

"SHUT UP, MAGGOT!" We all yelled, even Chiron

"******Come aboard, man," Leo offered. "I'll give you a tour. You can steer the boat, and if you're really good I'll give you a little paper captain's hat to wear."**

******Octavian's nostrils flared. "How dare you—"**

Jason was obviously trying hard not to strangle the book

"******It's a good idea," Reyna said. "Octavian, go with him. See the ship. We'll convene a senate meeting in one hour."**

"******But …" Octavian stopped. Apparently he could tell from Reyna's expression that further arguing would not be good for his health. "Fine."**

"Remind me to thank Reyna when I get back" Jason breathed

******Leo got up. He turned to Annabeth, and his smile changed. It happened so quickly, Annabeth thought she'd imagined it; but just for a moment someone else seemed to be standing in Leo's place, smiling coldly with a cruel light in his eyes. Then Annabeth blinked, and Leo was just regular old Leo again, with his usual impish grin.**

Leo insecurely cupped his face and stared at the book in horror

"******Back soon," he promised. "This is gonna be epic."**

******A horrible chill settled over her.**

******As Leo and Octavian headed for the rope ladder, she thought about calling them back—but how could she explain that? Tell everyone she was going crazy, seeing things and feeling cold?**

******The wind spirits began clearing the plates.**

"******Uh, Reyna," Jason said, "if you don't mind, I'd like to show Piper around before the senate meeting. She's never seen New Rome.**

******Reyna's expression hardened.**

******Annabeth wondered how Jason could be so dense. Was it possible he really didn't understand how much Reyna liked him?**

Jason looked shocked

"Well now you know" Annabeth Jr told him

******It was obvious enough to Annabeth. Asking to show his new girlfriend around Reyna's city was rubbing salt in a wound.**

He winced. I felt sorry for him. Love triangles are painful enough to watch-or read-about, but it actually happening to your life? Urgh!

"******Of course," Reyna said coldly.**

******Percy took Annabeth's hand. "Yeah, me, too. I'd like to show Annabeth—"**

Now everyone face palmed at me._ What did I do?_

"******No," Reyna snapped.**

******Percy knit his eyebrows. "Sorry?"**

"******I'd like a few words with Annabeth," Reyna said. "Alone. If you don't mind, my fellow praetor."**

******Her tone made it clear she wasn't really asking permission.**

******The chill spread down Annabeth's back. She wondered what Reyna was up to. Maybe the praetor didn't like the idea of two guys who had rejected her giving their girlfriends tours of her city.**

Jason and I winced. Piper and Annabeth just glared at the book

******Or maybe there was something she wanted to say in private. Either way, Annabeth was reluctant to be alone and unarmed with the Roman leader.**

"******Come, daughter of Athena." Reyna rose from her couch. "Walk with me."**

"Well, that's done" Nico said

"Okay. Everyone, Its campfire time. After that its bed time. Come along." Chiron said

Annabeth and I sat together at the campfire. Annabeth Sr. reluctantly left big me's side but not without a kiss. Dad finally became solid again he apologized that he should leave but he promised to come back tomorrow and to read and give me 'the talk'. I shuddered at that.

"Okay everyone, Hi I'm Annabeth from the future and I'm going to tell you one of Percy's latest adventures."

She told everyone everything: The entrance to CJ, the shrine of Neptune which I saw (I was very saddened to hear that he doesn't get the respect he needed at the other camp but Annabeth held me closer in reassurance),Hazel's background, Frank's story, the war games and the claiming of Frank(that got Jason pretty happy cause I brought 5th cohort to victory for the very 1st time and I knocked-out Octavian)the senate meeting(which got Jason, Hazel, Frank and I extremely pissed)the _Wanted:Praetor_ crisis(in which I needed to make out with Annabeth to calm her down)the beginning of the quest(that got everyone disappointed about the pax. Jason looked embarrassed and furious at the augur at the same time)the grain problem, the 1st encounter with Polybotes, meeting Iris and Fleecy, Meeting Phineas and Ella(I got really angry when I heard what the old man was doing to the harpies), The gorgon's blood(which got me a few bruises from a very worried Annabeth) getting captured by the Amazons and retrieving Arion (which got Hazel a bear saw hug from Annabeth for saving me and Frank) getting to Grandma Zhang and learning about Periclimenus(it saddened Frank to know that his Grandma went MIA)the flying to Alaska(got me shaking to my toes)our encounter with the griffins and hyperborians, releasing death, getting back the eagle and facing Alcyoneus (that sent everyone into happy moods), My fall from _with_ the cliff(I had to make out with Annabeth again)the battle in Camp Jupiter and making big me praetor(Jason looked really impressed that I became praetor in a week and also real grateful that I prevented the big disaster if Octavian did become praetor) by the end of the story, everyone looked impressed

When she finished Chiron told everyone to go to bed.

Annabeth and I walked hand-in-hand to our cabins.

"So I'll see you tomorrow." I said as we approached her cabin

"Yeah, bye, babe. See you tomorrow. Good night" We kissed one last time then she entered her cabin.

I smiled as I walked to my cabin. As embarrassing as it had been at first, today is the best day of my life!...

**THERE YOU HAVE IT, EVERYONE**

**1ST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE WHO READ, FOLLOWED, FAVORED (THATS THE PAST TENSE OF FAVORITE, RIGHT? CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG), OR REVIEWED SO MUCH! THIS STORY IS STILL ALIVE BECAUSE OF YOUR SUPPORT! THANK YOU!**

**2ND, I DECIDED TO TAKE BOTH ANNABETH AND PERCY OUT OF TARTARUS BECAUSE OF REASONS I CAN'T EXPLAIN EVEN TO MYSELF. MAYBE JUST AN INSTICT? DON'T KNOW...**

**3RD, I TRIED MY BEST IN THESE CHAPTERS EVERYONE. I JUST NEEDED YOU TO KNOW.**

**4TH, I'M SORRY IF ALL THESE AJ, AS, JR, AND SR STUFF IS CONFUSING YOU, BUT I'LL TRY TO EDIT THE CHAPTER AND SEE WHERE I WENT WRONG.**

**5TH, I SAID THIS BEFORE BUT I'LL SAY THIS AGAIN. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR SUGGESTIONS FEEL VERY FREE TO PM OR REVIEW (NO FLAMES PLEASE. 1ST STORY HERE). I'LL ANSWER ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT I CAN ANSWER, I PROMISE.**

**6TH, LOOK EVERYONE, I APOLOGIZE IF THIS PISSES YOU OFF BUT THE NEXT UPDATE MAY BE IN TWO TO THREE WEEKS TIME. LIKE I SAID BEFORE I'M WORKING AND I'M VERY TIRED AT LATE NIGHTS BUT I PROMISE TO SPEED UP MY WRITINGS AS MUCH AS I CAN.**

**TILL NEXT TIME!**

**AN AUTHOR WHO IS REALLY INSECURE,**

**IAMANAIADGLADTOSERVEU**


	5. Chapter 5

Percy's POV (big Percy's)

_Roll, whap, stab, slash, get up, slash, stab, whap, whap, stab, deflect, slash_

Kill them. Get back to Annabeth. Kill them. Get back to Annabeth. Kill them. Get back-OW! My stomach's twisting...Its getting dark...head hurts...

_~Dream:_

I saw Gaea's face in front of me smiling cruelly

"How's your stay in my husband's, pawn?" she purred

I wanted to smack her, stab her, kill her, cause any bodily harm at her but I can't move. Maybe if I talk...

"Shut up" I growled

"My, my, you never loose spirit do you?" She purred again "Your alive now only because the fates will borrow you. Unfortunately, dear pawn, even _I_ can't bribe them. That pathetic sun god with his other powerless brethren got them into a deal. But mark my words, when this is all over you _will_ come back. And when you do we _will_ finish what we started. Your blood shall be spilled on the steps of Olympus. Maybe I _could_ spare your girlfriend but definitely not you. Instead of the beautiful Annabeth maybe the movie star can do. Or the deceased freak. _Maybe_ if you could entertain me I'll spare her but if you don't..." she slit a line across her throat.

I wanted to retort but I can't do anything but growl and glare in frustration at her.

"Lost the ability to speak, eh, pawn? But may I ask you...why save your girlfriend? Has she done anything good to you?Well-"

"Just shut the Hades up, Gaea. I will save Annabeth even if it's the _last_ thing I'll _ever_ do. She has done more than enough for me! So I suggest you give up trying to convince me to surrender her. You'll have to kill me first."

She cackled in delight "But that's exactly the plan, pawn. Kill you first. Slit your neck in front of all the Olympians and their petty children. Show them what I did to their precious leader. Then of course the girl is next." she came closer to me and whispered in my ear "Unless you want to come with me willingly. See you soon, my precious little pawn." she disappeared then darkness surrounded me once again.

_~End of dream~_

_Ouch. _That was my first thought.

My head's spinning, my legs are numb, I can't feel my arms, my body's burning. Everything hurts. Especially my back.

Who in his right mind, would put a person, who was _whipped_, on the _back,_ _lying_ on his_ back?_

Urgh. Well, I guess it's better than get my lying in my front cause I was stabbed there. Five times...I hate my life.

_Okay, Percy, focus. Open your eyes_. I told myself

I finally managed. _The infirmary?_

It was morning, the sun rays were glaring brightly from the window. I guess sometime after breakfast.

With a lot of push, I sat up only to be pushed back.

I squinted. My eyes are still blurry. "Rest, my boy. You are going to need it." That voice...

"Chiron?" I managed

My vision returned. I saw my mentor, smiling softly down at me. "It's good to see you awake, Percy"

I managed a smile then freaked out "Where's Annabeth?" I asked in concern. If it was anyone else, I would've yelled but this is _Chiron_. I would _never_ yell at him.

"Do not worry. She's still at the mess hall. I asked-ordered, actually-her to eat after watching you all night."

I groaned softly. She shouldn't be worrying about me...

"Chiron, could you help me up? You think I could visit the beach? Maybe I could relieve some of the pain there."

"Of course." he replied

He helped me up. I almost gasped when I saw my abdomen. The wounds are...gone. Well not all gone but close to fading. But it still hurts like Hades. Even with the marks almost gone. Next, I realized what I was wearing. A white, buttoned up shirt that isn't closed. Probably so the wounds would heal faster. Loose black pants. These clothes look _expensive._

"Your clothes were magically changed by your father, Percy." Chiron informed me

"Dad? Dad's here?" I asked

"Well, not currently here, but he promised to arrive later."

I took a deep breath and slowly stood up with some help from Chiron.

I slowly made it on my own to the porch. "Remember do not close your shirt cause your wounds still aren't stable. And do not go too far from the big house. And remember just yell if you need anything...Are you sure you want to go to the beach alone?" Chiron asked in concern.

I gave him a smile "Yes, Chiron. If Annabeth comes looking or if you need me, you know where to find me."

When I made it down the small stairs someone stumbled into me.

"Gods of Olympus! Watch were your going, runt! Who are-are-are-are-are..." the speaker stuttered

I looked at her then my eyes widened. Standing before me was a fourteen-year-old: "Clarisse?!" I exclaimed not believing what I'm seeing.

"Percy?! Your finally awake!" She exclaimed too. Her eyes still wide as saucers.

"You-yo-your...FOURTEEN?! HOW?" I looked at Chiron for explanation. He was chuckling at my expression but explained about the sent-back-in-time stuff. I barely managed not to glare at him for laughing.

Anyway, I apologized to Clarisse and made my way to the beach. She still hasn't moved from her position but she nodded.

I immediately relaxed when I made it to the beach. I slowly made my way to the deeper part. My whole body sank down. I was greeted by many fishes and sea creatures. A lot of _'Hello, my Lord'_, '_Wonderful day, sire'_ and _'Good morning, my liege'_ were given to me and I just smiled at them.

After maybe three hours and thirty minutes, I resurfaced and was tackled by...

"Thalia!" I hugged her back. She cried a little "I heard what they did to you. I'm sorry."

I stiffened a little at the reminder "It's fine, Thals."

When she pulled me at arms length, she suddenly judo flipped me

"OW! You know, Thalia, I would've just laughed at this but I was whipped on my back so..."

She realized what I was saying, her eyes widened and helped me up "Oh my gods, sorry, I got this idea from Annabeth when we read her thoughts."

I was tackled from behind by another person

"Nico?" I asked.

"YOU IDIOT! YOU SCARED US TO DEATH! YOU ALMOST DIED YESTERDAY! I THOUGHT I'D LOOSE ONE OF MY FAMILY AGAIN!" He looked like he wanted to strangle and hug me at the same time. I think he settled for both

"Chocking me..."

He let go of me. Both of my cousins started tearing up. I pulled them into another hug. It was painful because of my wounds but I didn't care "I missed you guys so much." I murmured

"Percy, you have no idea how worried we were. We missed you so, so much! Camp isn't the same without you, Kelp head." Thalia managed over her tears

We stayed like that for so long it was eventually lunch. We were so startled by the conch shell we fell back into the waves. We just laughed and got up. I dried them then, arm in arm, walked into lunch.

We separated as we made it to the mess hall.

As walked through the tables everyone stared. For some reason, the girls were gawking, until I realized my shirt wasn't buttoned...Well that was stupid. But I can't button it until these wounds are secure already. Chiron said it might hurt. As if I still don't know the meaning of hurt...

I sat down at the Poseidon table, the mess hall was all silent and staring at me "WHAT?" they resumed eating, faster than before, I noticed.

It came to my attention that little me isn't here. Huh. Maybe he was just hanging out with little Annabeth. It happened a few times. Once, she tried to teach me how to play chess and we were so engrossed with the game we didn't notice it was already three pm until our stomachs rumbled. But where's her bigger counterpart?

I waited nervously for Chiron to thank the gods.

He finally showed up. He stepped on the flat form.

He pounded his hoof. Everyone once again, fell silent. "Children, I am here to announce the arrival and awaking of Percy Jackson from the future."

I stood up and smiled at them. I was about to sit down when someone, once again, hugged me.

I immediately recognized those blonde curls "ANNABETH!" I hugged back fiercely

Next thing I know, her lips crashed into mine. As a reply, I kissed her back and lifted her bridal style and spun her around. Everyone around camp cooed. Some Aphrodite girls were sniffling. I didn't mind all that, all I care about is were both safe...at least for now.

I put her down and held her at arm's length. Her eyes burned with affection, then suddenly a twist of anger. I only had time to think _'Oh no'_ before she punched me in the gut. Under normal circumstances, I would just stared at her and look like dumb but she just punched me where the fatal stab that made me lose consciousness was.

I immediately stumbled back into the ground, wincing in pain, holding my stomach, staring at her, losing my ability to protest.

"Annabeth, no!" I guess that was young Will.

He helped me sit up. My head was throbbing. "Dude, that was NOT cool! Do you know how long we cured this one?!Your not fully healed yet! You look fine because Lord Poseidon put a glamour***** on you so you won't be embarrassed cause your supposed to keep that shirt open! And you!" He glared at Annabeth "You could've killed him if you attacked with more power."

Sh seemed to realize what she did. She knelt over me then hugged me again. "I'm so sorry." She turned to Will "If I slap him, will he die?"

Will stared at her nervously "Um...no?"

_Here it comes_. I closed my eyes waiting for her to slap me. But she didn't. I opened them again only to find her sobbing.

I slowly pulled her to my chest and held her close. She surprisingly pulled away

"Seriously? After I almost kill you, you embrace me? When will you learn?! You came down with me so I wouldn't be alone! You were tortured by monsters because you sacrificed for me! You made a deal with the fates that I would get out of there first even though you were the one hurt! Everyday it was you who suffered but it was _me_ who brought _you_ there! By the gods, why did you even like me? Gods, What did I ever do to deserve you?!" I pulled her close again, this time, she didn't resist

"Well, I love you. Deal with it." I told her. Campers cooed again. Even Chiron.

She closed her eyes and hugged me tighter "I love you too. _So_ much it hurts." The Aphrodite cabin (boys and girls) all broke down sobbing like they just watched their favorite romantic drama show (In Aphrodite speak, we technically are)

The camper's were all watching us. Some even had tears on their eyes.

We slowly separated with big grins on our faces. I looked once again at the campers. A lot were smiling. Some were even saying "Annabeth's very lucky". The Athena cabin all looked touched. Thalia and Nico were looking so happy. Probably the happiest among all the campers, except of course for Annabeth and I.

We both sat down in my table. No one-not even Chiron- protested when Annabeth sat on the Poseidon table.

Chiron cleared his throat, effectively gaining the attention of all the campers. "Well, I hate to interrupt the soap opera but..." He shrugged and some people giggled "To the gods!"

"To the Gods!" we all echoed

"and the fates" I silently added.

I swear I heard someone told me in my mind _Thank you, hero_

"So where's your mini-version?" I asked Annabeth

She smirked "Making out with your mini-version." I stared at her in confusion. She explained that because of her thoughts, little us got together pretty fast. I must say, that's pretty impressive for thirteen-year-olds. Annabeth said that they promised that they won't use their tongue yet until their one year anniversary. So yeah its fine. Hmm...I wonder how mom will react...Well, I _have_ to wonder how will it turn out cause mom from my time teared up while teased me to no end. How she managed to combine it? I don't know and I wont dare ask.

Anyway five minutes later, I spotted mini me crawling under our table.

"Dude, what are you doing there?" I whispered

He looked startled. Then stared at me. "Your seventeen-year-old me?" I nodded

He sighed "Can you fix my hair so no one will notice?" Only now did I notice his hair was disheveled in every direction, like someone had been running a hand through it. I wanted to laugh but then I'd probably draw attention. I pulled him out and sat him beside me, then flattened his hair.

"Oh so your done having fun?" Annabeth teased little me

"Um...I-I'm not answering that, wise girl." He stammered

We laughed and I ruffled his hair

"Where's Annabeth?" I asked

He leaned closer so he can whisper "At her seat wearing her Yankees cap."

"Why?"

"Same reason as mine."

"So...does mom know?" I asked

He looked down "No, not yet. I promise, I mean to tell her. Its just that..." he hung his head.

This was me. I know what its like. I've been through this argument in my head a thousand times.

I decided I should help.

"Just what?" I urged

he sighed "I'm scared."

_I know the feeling_. "of...?"

he looked at me "that's the thing, I don't know what I'm scared of. I've battled furies, hydras, Echidna, Polyphemus and and even Ares but I'm scared of telling my mom that I have a girlfriend."

I understood him. "Hey, don't be scared. Mom wont grow fangs and eat you. She already likes Annabeth. That's got to be something"

He fidgeted then stared at me, eyebrows scrunched "But what if she forces me to break up with her? What if she doesn't want me dating? What if she'll be only sad? I don't want to break up with Annabeth. She's like the best thing that happened to me since Gabe was gone! That's saying something. I don't want to lose her. I don't want mom to-"

"Dude, relax. I promise you, nothing bad is gonna happen. If your mom is the same as mine then she'll do anything for us to be happy. I don't like that trait of her very much but I guess it makes Sally Jackson: mom. Now promise me that you'll tell her later through Iris-message. Don't let her find out on her own."

He sighed then Annabeth-I mean _Little_ Annabeth- appeared beside him with her head on his shoulder. "You know I could be there while you tell your mom." She suggested

I stared at mini-me. "I thought she was in her seat?"

The thing is he looked equally surprised as I was.

She raised her eyebrow "Chiron said he granted Annabeth permission to sit here. He didn't specify from which time so I'm taking advantage of it."

Annabeth from my time smiled "That is something I'd do"

"This is the weirdest double date in history" Little me muttered

"Agreed" we all chorused then burst out laughing

We finished our food with soft smiles on our faces then went to my cabin to finish the book.

I was really surprised to see everyone already in there. I'll admit, I teared up when I saw Selena, Beckendorf and Lee's faces again. Then almost choked when I saw Piper, Jason, Leo, Frank and Hazel's younger counterpart. They're _so_ cute! If all goes well then this will definitely be the best days of my final time...well I hope not but if it's the only way to save her...Percy, pull yourself together!

Seating arrangement: Malcolm, Connor, Katie, Travis, Nico, Thalia, Jason, Piper, Leo, Hazel, Frank, little me, Annabeth's mini-version on his lap (You know how odd it is for you to see _yourself_ like that? Plain weird, man, plain weird), me and Annabeth on the same position as our younger counterparts, Grover, Lee, Will, Pollux, Clarisse, Selina, then Beckendorf.

We were about to read when a bright light filed the room.

After the light died, siting next to me was...

"LUKE!" everyone yelled

Well it _is_ Luke, but this one looks already 23 not twenty as he should be in this time. And he was grinning kindly not the sneers or cruel smirks he once had.

"Hello, every-Yikes!" He yelped as everyone pointed his weapons at him. Nico, Thalia, Annabeth and I jumped in front of him

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Calm down! This isn't the Luke from your time!" Nico yelled "This is Luke from ours! Hey, man, howdy' do?"

Luke's smile returned "Good, good. It was fun in Elysium. I'm re-considering rebirth. Maybe I'll stick in Elysium for a while."

"That's good to hear!" I said

He looked at me a bit sadly "Look, man. I never got to talk to you in person since I'm dead, but I want to apologize. Sorry for-"

"Dude, don't apologize! I've forgiven you since you made the right choice. You were the hero, not me. After all that happened you still chose to do the right thing. And that made up for all you did to us." I smiled

He smiled too. "Thanks man. But don't go giving all the credit to me. It was a group effort." I gave him a one-armed man hug (hey, we _were_ friends once.) Annabeth hugged him. It was fine by me _now_ since I know _now_ that their kinda siblings. Thalia punched him then hugged him.

Everyone from the past stood there, unmoving and doubtful.

I cleared my throat. "Guys, this is Luke Gregory-"

"I hate my second name" he muttered

"Castellan from the future. Son of Hermes, Hero of Olympus in the end."

Little me lowered riptide "What do you mean Hero of Olympus in the end?"

I was about to tell him about the prophesy when a note fell on my hand.

_Hero, please do not reveal the prophesy to the youngling. It may affect everything he does._

I sighed "Sorry. I'd love to but the fates have other plans." I shrugged

He looked a bit disappointed.

"How can we trust him? That guy himself poisoned Thalia's tree!" Clarisse hissed

Luke sighed "Look, guys, I'm sorry for everything I did and will do. I was...um, a scatterbrained at that, actually this-time. Look the point is I regret it all and I am assigned by the fates themselves to read this godmother book with you."

"Swear in the Styx!" Connor yelled. Ahh yes. He and Travis are a bit-scratch that a _lot_ angry with Luke.

He swore. They reluctantly sat down.

"So um, I'm reading next. What chapter?" he asked as he took the book

"Four" Nico answered

He took a deep breath "Okay, here we go"

"******Annabeth IV,"**

******Annabeth wanted to hate New Rome.**

"Well I hate it now" My Annabeth growled

"Hey, calm down." I whispered

She slowly did

Luke gave me a thumbs up

******But as an aspiring architect, **

Many people face palmed and groaned, including Luke

Both Annabeth's glared at them

******she couldn't help admiring the terraced gardens, the fountains and temples, the winding cobblestone streets and gleaming white villas.**

******After the Titan War last summer, **

Luke's voice faltered a bit. Then recomposed himself

******she'd gotten her dream job of redesigning the palaces of Mount Olympus.**

L.A.'s (Little Annabeth) eyes lit up "Really?"

Annabeth Sr. smiled "Yes, really."

L.A. Started hyperventilating so I'm going to leave it all to little me. And yeah...he's doing a good job at it.

Luke looked surprised and he looked at me. I mouthed _tell you later_ and he nodded

******Now, walking through this miniature city, she kept thinking, I should have made a dome like that. I love the way those columns lead into that courtyard.**

"Annabeth, Olympus is beautiful the way it s. You shouldn't doubt yourself, your an amazing architect." I said

She smiled at me "Thanks."

******Whoever designed New Rome had clearly poured a lot of time and love into the project.**

"******We have the best architects and builders in the world," Reyna said, as if reading her thoughts. "Rome always did, in the ancient times. Many demigods stay on to live here after their time in the legion. They go to our university. They settle down to raise families. Percy seemed interested in this fact."**

I blushed crimson as huge grins crept up on Thalia, Nico, and Luke's faces. I'm silently getting the message that they weren't going to let me forget this. It's a good thing _only__they_ understood this. If the Stolls of hold of the- OH MY GODS THE STABLES!

******Annabeth wondered what that meant. She must have scowled more fiercely than she realized, because Reyna laughed.**

I must've looked more disappointed than I realized because Annabeth whispered "No, its not that I don't want to. I just thought that you liked another fact in New Rome better than something at Camp Half-blood. That you thought that there was something better at that place than our home." she soothed

I sighed "I wish I hadn't told you about that."

She looked hurt "Percy..."

"No, I mean: Stolls. Stable_s. _Coach Hedge. Frank. Bad news." I covered, hiding what I wanted to say. _What if it's too early? _I thought

She looked a bit in doubt but her eyes widened "Oh gods. That'll be a nightmare."

"******You're a warrior, all right," the praetor said. "You've got fire in your eyes."**

"******Sorry." Annabeth tried to tone down the glare.**

"******Don't be. I'm the daughter of Bellona."**

"******Roman goddess of war?"**

******Reyna nodded. She turned and whistled like she was hailing a cab. A moment later, two metal dogs raced toward them—automaton greyhounds, one silver and one gold. They brushed against Reyna's legs and regarded Annabeth with glistening ruby eyes.**

"Argentum and Aurum" Jason and I chorused

"******My pets," Reyna explained. "Aurum and Argentum. You don't mind if they walk with us?"**

******Again, Annabeth got the feeling it wasn't really a request. She noted that the greyhounds had teeth like steel arrowheads. Maybe weapons weren't allowed inside the city, but Reyna's pets could still tear her to pieces if they chose**.

"That isn't fair." Lee pondered

Jason nodded "Maybe I can convince Terminus to allow-"

"Sorry, Jason, no can do. From what I've heard, there had been another bloody senate meeting not too long before I got there." I told him

He grimaced "Well there goes our chance."

******Reyna led her to an outdoor café, where the waiter clearly kne********w her. He smiled and handed her a to-go cup, then offered one to Annabeth.**

"******Would you like some?" Reyna asked. "They make wonderful hot chocolate. Not really a Roman drink—"**

"Chocolate is universal" The Stolls chorused

We stared at them

"What? Just because we don't like to read or study doesn't mean were complete idiots." Travis reasoned

"Yeah and we _love_ chocolate!" Connor added dreamily

"The not-complete-idiots part is still debatable" Katie smirked

"Watch it, Gardner" Travis warned.

Luke wisely continued reading

"******But chocolate is universal," Annabeth said.**

We stared at them some more

"******Exactly."**

******It was a warm June afternoon, but Annabeth accepted the cup with thanks. The two of them walked on, Reyna's gold and silver dogs roaming nearby.**

"******In our camp," Reyna said, "Athena is Minerva. Are you familiar with how her Roman form is different?"**

"Her Roman form is almost as rattlebrained as Luke." She growled

Luke leaned to me "Was that an insult or a complement to me or Athena?" He whispered

"An insult to both of you." I replied

He made a face then continued reading

******Annabeth hadn't really considered it before. She remembered the way Terminus had called Athena that goddess, as if she were scandalous. Octavian had acted like Annabeth's very existence was an insult.**

Malcolm and both Annabeths growled

"******I take it Minerva isn't … uh, quite as respected here?"**

******Reyna blew steam from her cup. "We respect Minerva. She's the goddess of crafts and wisdom …but she isn't really a goddess of war. **

L.A. And Malcolm's jaw dropped

******Not for Romans. She's also a maiden goddess, like Diana …the one you call Artemis. You won't find any children of Minerva here. The idea that Minerva would have children—frankly, it's a little shocking to us."**

Now they looked offended

"******Oh." Annabeth felt her face flush. She didn't want to get into the details of Athena's children—how they were born straight from the mind of the goddess, just as Athena herself had sprung from the head of Zeus.**

People started to look at Annabeth but P.J. And I glared at them. They shrunk back and looked away.

******Talking about that always made Annabeth feel self-conscious, like she was some sort of freak.**

"Your not a freak," PJ, Thalia, Luke, Nico and I said simultaneously and firmly

******People usually asked her whether or not she had a belly button, since she had been born magically.**

"Don't even think about it, Leo" I told him as he opened his mouth.

He snapped his mouth shut.

******Of course she had a belly button. She couldn't explain how. She didn't really want to know.**

"Agreed" the Stolls chorused.

PJ, Thalia, Luke and I buried them with pillows

"******I understand that you Greeks don't see things the same way," Reyna continued. "But Romans take vows of maidenhood very seriously. The Vestal Virgins, for instance … if they broke their vows and fell in love with anyone, they would be buried alive. **

"Huh. I think Aunt Hestia wouldn't mind." I stated, a little confused

"Percy, we're talking about Vesta. Roman, not Greek" Annabth reminded me

******So the idea that a maiden goddess would have children—"**

"******Got it." Annabeth's hot chocolate suddenly tasted like dust. No wonder the Romans had been giving her strange looks.**

"******I'm not supposed to exist. And even if your camp had children of Minerva—"**

"******They wouldn't be like you," Reyna said. "They might be craftsmen, artists, maybe advisers, but not warriors. Not leaders of dangerous quests."**

"Just so you know, I'm not the leader of the quest. Percy and Jason are." Annabeth clarified

******Annabeth started to object that she wasn't the leader of the quest. Not officially. But she wondered if her friends on the Argo II would agree. The past few days, they had been looking to her for orders—even Jason, who could have pulled rank as the son of Jupiter, and Coach Hedge, who didn't take orders from anyone.**

"******There's more." Reyna snapped her fingers, and her golden dog, Aurum, trotted over. The praetor stroked his ears. "The harpy Ella … it was a prophecy she spoke. We both know that, don't we?"**

Annabeth and I sighed._Stupid prophesy`_

******Annabeth swallowed. Something about Aurum's ruby eyes made her uneasy. She had heard that dogs could smell fear, even detect changes in a human's breathing and heartbeat. She didn't know if that applied to magical metal dogs, but she decided it would be better to tell the truth.**

"******It sounded like a prophecy," she admitted. "But I've never met Ella before today, and I've never heard those lines exactly."**

"******I have," Reyna murmured. "At least some of them—"**

******A few yards away, the silver dog barked. A group of children spilled out of a nearby alleyway and gathered around Argentum, petting the dog and laughing, unfazed by its razor-sharp teeth.**

"******We should move on," Reyna said.**

******They wound their way up the hill. The greyhounds followed, leaving the children behind. Annabeth kept glancing at Reyna's face. A vague memory started tugging at her—the way Reyna brushed her hair behind her ear, the silver ring she wore with the torch and sword design.**

L.A.'s eyes widened "Oh! So her name's Reyna!"

"Who?" PJ asked

"Tell you later." she promised

"******We've met before," Annabeth ventured. "You were younger, I think."**

******Reyna gave her a dry smile. "Very good. Percy didn't remember me.**

"It comes with the losing-the-memories concept, Rey." I muttered. Annabeth heard and snorted

******Of course you spoke mostly with my older sister Hylla, **

Now PJ's eyes widened

******who is now queen of the Amazons. She left just this morning, before you arrived. At any rate, when we last met, I was a mere handmaiden in the house of Circe."**

PJ face-palmed "Of course! Dark hair and eyes, with torch rings. From Circe!"

"So you recognized her?" LA asked

PJ nodded "I saw her pass and got a good look at her."

"******Circe …" Annabeth remembered her trip to the island of the sorceress. She'd been thirteen. Percy and she had washed ashore from the Sea of Monsters. Hylla had welcomed them. She had helped Annabeth get cleaned up and given her a beautiful new dress and a complete makeover. Then Circe had made her sales pitch: if Annabeth stayed on the island, she could have magical training and incredible power. Annabeth had been tempted, maybe just a little, until she realized the place was a trap, and Percy had been turned into a rodent.**

Everyone but PJ and I burst out laughing.

I bet we both looked offended

******(That last part seemed funny afterward; but at the time, it had been terrifying.)**

"Traitor" we both muttered as eveyone's laughter increased. Luke barely got to read the lines.

The both kissed us. Urgh I hate that effect she has on us.

******As for Reyna … she'd been one of the servants who had combed Annabeth's hair.**

"Amazing..." LA murmured, fascinated

"******You …" Annabeth said in amazement. "And Hylla is queen of the Amazons? How did you two—?"**

"******Long story," Reyna said. "But I remember you well. You were brave. I'd never seen anyone refuse Circe's hospitality, much less outwit her. It's no wonder Percy cares for you."**

P.J and I both shifted in our seats as both Annabeth's glared at the book

******Her voice was wistful. Annabeth thought it might be safer not to respond.**

"You should've talked back" LA glared at her older counterpart

She raised her eyebrow "As much as I wanted to, I have no weapon, she has metal guard dogs. Plus we need to build some goodwill."

LA just grumbled. PJ held her closer

******They reached the top of the hill, where a terrace overlooked the entire valley.**

"******This is my favorite spot," Reyna said. "The Garden of Bacchus."**  
"Mr. D?" Malcolm asked

Annabeth from my time started snickering.

We stared at her

"You'll see" she said while chuckling

******Grapevine trellises made a canopy overhead. Bees buzzed through honeysuckle and jasmine, which filled the afternoon air with a dizzying mix of perfumes. In the middle of the terrace stood a statue of Bacchus in a sort of ballet position, wearing nothing but a loincloth, his cheeks puffed out and lips pursed, spouting water into a fountain.**

Lee: "Oh"

Clarisse: "My"

"gods" we all chorused. Then burst out laughing except for Pollux, who looked like _'TMI, dad!'_

Luke, PJ, LA, Annabeth, Nico, Thalia, the Stolls and I were ROFL (Rolling on the floor laughing)

******Despite her worries, Annabeth almost laughed. She knew the god in his Greek form, Dionysus—or Mr. D, as they called him back at Camp Half-Blood. Seeing their cranky old camp director immortalized in stone, wearing a diaper and spewing water from his mouth, made her feel a little better.**

"It will make anyone feel better." Thalia managed through her constant laughs

******Reyna stopped at the edge of the terrace. The view was worth the climb. The whole city spread out below them like a 3-D mosaic. To the south, beyond the lake, a cluster of temples perched on a hill. To the north, an aqueduct marched toward the Berkeley Hills. Work crews were repairing a broken section, probably damaged in the recent battle.**

"******I wanted to hear it from you," Reyna said.**

******Annabeth turned. "Hear what from me?"**

"******The truth," Reyna said. "Convince me that I'm not making a mistake by trusting you. Tell me about yourself. Tell me about Camp Half-Blood. Your friend Piper has sorcery in her words. I spent enough time with Circe to know charmspeak when I hear it. I can't trust what she says. And Jason … well, he has changed. He seems distant, no longer quite Roman."**

******The hurt in her voice was as sharp as broken glass. Annabeth wondered if she had sounded that way, all the months she'd spent searching for Percy. At least she'd found her boyfriend. Reyna had no one. She was responsible for running an entire camp all by herself. Annabeth could sense that Reyna wanted Jason to love her. But he had disappeared, only to come back with a new girlfriend. Meanwhile, Percy had risen to praetor, but he had rebuffed Reyna too. Now Annabeth had come to take him away. Reyna would be left alone again, shouldering a job meant for two people.**

I think most of us now felt sorry for Reyna, even LA. Rey definitely needs someone always beside her (Octavian doesn't count since he's constantly annoying). Someone almost her opposite...maybe someone with Leo's personality? Huh. All this stuff turns my brain to mush...

******When Annabeth had arrived at Camp Jupiter, she'd been prepared to negotiate with Reyna or even fight her if needed. She hadn't been prepared to feel sorry for her.**

******She kept that feeling hidden. Reyna didn't strike her as someone who would appreciate pity.**

******Instead, she told Reyna about her own life. She talked about her dad and stepmom and her two stepbrothers in San Francisco, and how she had felt like an outsider in her own family.**

LA frowned a little in remembrance

******She talked about how she had run away when she was only seven, finding her friends Luke and Thalia and making her way to Camp Half-Blood on Long Island.**

Thalia and Luke both smiled

******She described the camp and her years growing up there.**

Both Annabeths smiled

******She talked about meeting Percy and the adventures they'd had together.**

I smiled and held her closer. PJ did the same with LA

******Reyna was a good listener.**

******Annabeth was tempted to tell her about more recent problems: her fight with her mom, the gift of the silver coin, and the nightmares she'd been having—about an old fear so paralyzing, she'd almost decided that she couldn't go on this quest.**

I guess LA and PJ figured out the fear part. They shared a nervous look with each other

"Okay, spill. What is it you patterned?" Clarisse demanded

Both Annabeths only shook their heads sadly.

PJ kissed LA's forehead

Luke continued

******But she couldn't bring herself to open up quite that much.**

******When Annabeth was done talking, Reyna gazed over New Rome. Her metal greyhounds sniffed around the garden, snapping at bees in the honeysuckle. Finally Reyna pointed to the cluster of temples on the distant hill.**

"******The small red building," she said, "there on the northern side? That's the temple of my mother, Bellona." Reyna turned toward Annabeth. "Unlike your mother, Bellona has no Greek equivalent. She is fully, truly Roman. She's the goddess of protecting the homeland."**

"So that's what happened to Athena's war side,huh? Converted into a different goddess." Malcolm said disdainfully

******Annabeth said nothing. She knew very little about the Roman goddess. She wished she had studied up, but Latin never came as easily to her as Greek.**

I frowned. Annabeth had been on New Rome for a few hours already back then and she still doesn't get Latin, while I've only been there a few minutes and then it all started popping up...

"What's eatin' you?" Annabeth asked

"Tell you later."

******Down below, the hull of the Argo II gleamed as it floated over the forum, like some massive bronze party balloon.**

People snorted

"******When the Romans go to war," Reyna continued, "we first visit the Temple of Bellona. Inside is a symbolic patch of ground that represents enemy soil. We throw a spear into that ground, indicating that we are now at war. You see, Romans have always believed that offense is the best defense. In ancient times, whenever our ancestors felt threatened by their neighbors, they would invade to protect themselves."**

"******They conquered everyone around them," Annabeth said. "Carthage, the Gauls—"**

"******And the Greeks." Reyna let that comment hang.**

"******My point, Annabeth, is that it isn't Rome's nature to cooperate with other powers. Every time Greek and Roman demigods have met, we've fought. Conflicts between our two sides have started some of the most horrible wars in human history—especially civil wars."**

"******It doesn't have to be that way," Annabeth said. "We've got to work together, or Gaea will destroy us both."**

"******I agree," Reyna said. "But is cooperation possible? What if Juno's plan is flawed? Even goddesses can make mistakes."**

LA seemed waiting for something

******Annabeth waited for Reyna to get struck by lightning or turned into a peacock. Nothing happened.**

******Unfortunately, Annabeth shared Reyna's doubts. Hera did make mistakes. Annabeth had had nothing but trouble from that overbearing goddess, and she'd never forgive Hera for taking Percy away, even if it was for a noble cause. **

We both squeezed their hands again in reassurance. They kissed us in response

"Hey guys! There are children in here!" Thalia said motioning to Jason, Nico, Piper, Hazel, Frank, Leo, Will and Pollux who all looked offended

"Hey!"

Jason spoke up "I'm turning thirteen-"

"Next July Jason. You just turned twelve three days ago -Belated Happy Birthday by the way-Technically, your twelve months away from being a teenager. So your a kid." She said as Jason pouted

"But I'm thirteen!" Nico cried

"Barely, and you don't act like one anyway so our still a kid." she smirked as Nico glared

"******I don't trust the goddess," Annabeth admitted. **

**Thunder boomed**

**both Annabeths rolled their eyes**

******"But I do trust my friends. This isn't a trick, Reyna. We can work together."**

******Reyna finished her cup of chocolate. She set the cup on the terrace railing and gazed over the valley as if imagining battle lines.**

"******I believe you mean it," she said. "But if you go to the ancient lands, especially Rome itself, there is something you should know about your mother."**

******Annabeth's shoulders tensed. "My—my mother?"**

"******When I lived on Circe's island," Reyna said, "we had many visitors. Once, perhaps a year before you and Percy arrived, a young man washed ashore. He was half mad from thirst and heat. He'd been drifting at sea for days. His words didn't make much sense, but he said he was a son of Athena."**

"A year before you showed up...so it was last year...Oh my gods, Rafael!" Malcolm gasped

"Who's Rafael?" Connor asked

"A camper who stayed here longer than I did. He's my half-brother who was always bubbling something about a coin and was very interested in Rome's history and architecture. One day, he left suddenly left saying he will follow the task assigned to him. Every year, by the first week of June he'll show up here to visit Aisa, Bridgette and I and to see the changes that happened at camp. Then suddenly he didn't visit last year. I shrugged it off but..." Malcolm looked dejected "Circe, huh?"

Katie, who was sitting near him, rubbed his back to comfort him.

******Reyna paused as if waiting for a reaction. Annabeth had no idea who the boy might have been. **

"He doesn't let you see him so you wont think he's a threat to your position as head counselor. He is-was-the former counselor before he left. After he did, he passed it to me, then I gave it to you..." Malcolm trailed off

******She wasn't aware of any other Athena kids who'd gone on a quest in the Sea of Monsters, but still she felt a sense of dread. The light filtering through the grapevines made shadows writhe across the ground like a swarm of bugs.**

"******What happened to this demigod?" she asked.**

******Reyna waved her hand as if the question was trivial. "Circe turned him into a guinea pig, of course. He made quite a crazy little rodent. But before that, he kept raving about his failed quest.**

"WAIT!" Everyone turned to Malcolm, who turned to Percy and Annabeth JR.

"Didn't you say that you freed those guinea pigs? When Percy was sustained in um, human form? Is there a chance that he'd escape and is safe now?" he asked hopefully

LA seemed to wonder for a moment, then she sighed sadly "I'm sorry, Mal. Even if he did escape he'll either be stark-raving mad or be a captive of Blackbeard. I mean there is a possibility that he's fine, but a small one at that."

Malcolm only nodded

******He claimed that he'd gone to Rome, following the Mark of Athena."**

******Annabeth grabbed the railing to keep her balance.**

"******Yes," Reyna said, seeing her discomfort. "He kept muttering about wisdom's child, the Mark of Athena, and the giants' bane standing pale and gold. The same lines Ella was just reciting. But ********you say that you've never heard them before today?"**

"******Not—not the way Ella said them." Annabeth's voice was weak. She wasn't lying. She'd never heard that prophecy, but her mother had charged her with following the Mark of Athena; and as she thought about the coin in her pocket, a horrible suspicion began taking root in her mind. She ********remembered her mother's scathing words. She thought about the strange nightmares she'd been having lately. "Did this demigod—did he explain his quest?"**

******Reyna shook her head. "At the time, I had no idea what he was talking about. Much later, when I became praetor of Camp Jupiter, I began to suspect."**

"******Suspect … what?"**

Everyone leaned forward

"******There is an old legend that the praetors of Camp Jupiter have passed down through the centuries. If it's true, it may explain why our two groups of demigods have never been able to work together. It may be the cause of our animosity. Until this old score is finally settled, so the legend goes, Romans and Greeks will never be at peace. And the legend centers on Athena—"**

******A shrill sound pierced the air. Light flashed in the corner of Annabeth's eye.**

******She turned in time to see an explosion blast a new crater in the forum.**

******A burning couch tumbled through the air. Demigods scattered in panic.**

"******Giants?" Annabeth reached for her dagger, which of course wasn't there. "I thought their army was defeated!"**

"******It isn't the giants." Reyna's eyes seethed with rage. "You've betrayed our trust."**

"What? No!" we Greeks chorused

"******What? No!"**

******As soon as she said it, the Argo II launched a second volley.**

******Its port ballista fired a massive spear wreathed in Greek fire, which sailed straight through the broken dome of the Senate House and exploded inside, lighting up the building like a jack-o'-lantern. If anyone had been in there…**

"What's happening?!" Jason asked frantically

"******Gods, no." A wave of nausea almost made Annabeth's knees buckle. "Reyna, it isn't possible. We'd never do this!"**

******The metal dogs ran to their mistress's side. They snarled at Annabeth but paced uncertainly, as if reluctant to attack.**

"Good boys..." Jason sighed then looked at Annabeth "your telling the truth but how-?" he was left speechless by the book.

"******You're telling the truth," Reyna judged. "Perhaps you were not aware of this treachery, but someone must pay."**

******Down in the forum, chaos was spreading. Crowds were pushing and shoving. Fistfights were breaking out.**

"******Bloodshed," Reyna said.**

"******We have to stop it!"**

******Annabeth had a horrible feeling this might be the last time Reyna and she ever acted in agreement, but together they ran down the hill.**

******If weapons had been allowed in the city, Annabeth's friends would have already been dead.**

"On second thought, I guess I'll allow that rule to stay" Jason sighed in relief

******The Roman demigods in the forum had coalesced into an angry mob. Some threw plates, food, and rocks at the Argo II, which was pointless, as most of the stuff fell back into the crowd.**

******Several dozen Romans had surrounded Piper and Jason, who were trying to calm them without much luck. Piper's charmspeak was useless against so many screaming, angry demigods. Jason's forehead was bleeding. His purple cloak had been ripped to shreds. He kept pleading, "I'm on your side!" but his orange Camp Half-Blood T-shirt didn't help matters—nor did the warship overhead, firing flaming spears into New Rome. One landed nearby and blasted a toga shop to rubble.**

"No, no, no,no,no,no" everyone who weren't there muttered

"******Pluto's pauldrons," Reyna cursed. "Look."**

******Armed legionnaires were hurrying toward the forum. Two artillery crews had set up catapults just outside the Pomerian Line and were preparing to fire at the Argo II.**

"NO, no, no!" Leo yelled

"******That'll just make things worse," Annabeth said.**

"******I hate my job," Reyna growled. She rushed off toward the legionnaires, her dogs at her side.**

**____****Percy********, Annabeth thought, scanning the forum desperately. ****____****Where are you?**

"Always beside you from now on." I promised to her. She smiled at me

******Two Romans tried to grab her. She ducked past them, plunging into the crowd. As if the angry ********Romans, burning couches, and exploding buildings weren't confusing enough, hundreds of purple ghosts drifted through the forum, passing straight through the demigods' bodies and wailing incoherently. The fauns had also taken ********advantage of the chaos. They swarmed the dining tables, grabbing food, plates, and cups. One trotted by Annabeth with his arms full of tacos and an entire pineapple between his teeth.**

******A statue of Terminus exploded into being, right in front of Annabeth. He yelled at her in Latin, no doubt calling her a liar and a rule breaker; but she pushed the statue over and kept running.**

******Finally she spotted Percy. He and his friends, Hazel and Frank, were standing in the middle of a fountain as Percy repelled the angry Romans with blasts of water. Percy's toga was in tatters, but he looked unhurt.**

******Annabeth called to him as another explosion rocked the forum. This time the flash of light was directly overhead. One of the Roman catapults had fired, and the Argo II groaned and tilted sideways, flames bubbling over its bronze-plated hull.**

"No..." Leo groaned

******Annabeth noticed a figure clinging desperately to the rope ladder, trying to climb down. It was Octavian, his robes steaming and his face black with soot.**

******Over by the fountain, Percy blasted the Roman mob with more water. Annabeth ran toward him, ducking a Roman fist and a flying plate of sandwiches.**

"******Annabeth!" Percy called. "What—?"**

"******I don't know!" she yelled.**

"******I'll tell you what!" cried a voice from above. Octavian had reached the bottom of the ladder. "The Greeks have fired on us! Your boy Leo has trained his weapons on Rome!"**

Everyone stared horrified at Leo, who looked horrified by the thought himself

"He's got to be lying! I would never..." He put his head between his hands. Jason put an arm on his shoulder

******Annabeth's chest filled with liquid hydrogen. She felt like she might shatter into a million frozen ********pieces.**

"******You're lying," she said. "Leo would never—"**

"******I was just there!" Octavian shrieked. "I saw it with my own eyes!"**

******The Argo II returned fire. Legionnaires in the field scattered as one of their catapults was blasted to splinters.**

"******You see?" Octavian screamed. "Romans, kill the invaders!"**

******Annabeth growled in frustration. There was no time for anyone to figure out the truth. The crew from Camp Half-Blood was outnumbered a hundred to one, and even if Octavian had managed to stage some sort of trick (which she thought likely), they'd never be able to convince the Romans before they were overrun and killed.**

"Please, please, please make it..." everyone muttered

"******We have to leave," she told Percy. "Now."**

******He nodded grimly. "Hazel, Frank, you've got to make a choice. Are you coming?"**

******Hazel looked terrified, but she donned her cavalry helmet. "Of course we are. But you'll never make it to the ship unless we buy you some time."**

"******How?" Annabeth asked.**

******Hazel whistled. Instantly a blur of beige shot across the forum. A majestic horse materialized next to the fountain. He reared, whinnying and scattering the mob. Hazel climbed on his back like she'd been born to ride. Strapped to the horse's saddle was a Roman cavalry sword.**

******Hazel unsheathed her golden blade. "Send me an Iris-message when you're safely away, and we'll rendezvous," she said. "Arion, ride!"**

"Arion?!" Jason and LA chocked. Everyone ignored them because of the thick tension

******The horse zipped through the crowd with incredible speed, pushing back Romans and causing mass panic.**

******Annabeth felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe they could make it out of here alive. Then, from halfway across the forum, she heard Jason shouting.**

"******Romans!" he cried. "Please!"**

******He and Piper were being pelted with plates and stones. Jason tried to shield Piper, but a brick caught him above the eye. He crumpled, and the crowd surged forward.**

People winced in sympathy as Jason groaned in frustration

"******Get back!" Piper screamed. Her charmspeak rolled over the mob, making them hesitate, but Annabeth knew the ********effect wouldn't last. Percy and she couldn't possibly reach them in time to help.**

"******Frank," Percy said, "it's up to you. Can you help them?"**

******Annabeth didn't understand how Frank could do that all by himself, but he swallowed nervously.**

"******Oh, gods," he murmured. "Okay, sure. Just get up the ropes. Now."**

Frank looked extremely nervous

******Percy and Annabeth lunged for the ladder. Octavian was still clinging to the bottom, but Percy yanked him off and threw him into the mob.**

Despite the tension Jason and little me grinned then got serious again

******They began to climb as armed legionnaires flooded into the forum. Arrows whistled past Annabeth's head. An explosion almost knocked her off the ladder. Halfway up, she heard a roar below and glanced down.**

******Romans screamed and scattered as a full-sized dragon charged through the forum—a beast even scarier than the bronze dragon figurehead on the Argo II. It had rough gray skin like a Komodo lizard's and leathery bat wings. Arrows and rocks bounced harmlessly off its hide as it lumbered toward Piper and Jason, grabbed them with its front claws, and vaulted into the air.**

Everyone looked at Frank surprised. Even Frank looked flabergasted

"Yo-your a shapeshifter?" Clarisse asked, totally impressed

Frank didn't answer. He stared at the book, wide-eyed and unmoving

"******Is that …?" Annabeth couldn't even put the thought into words.**

"******Frank," Percy confirmed, a few feet above her. "He has a few special talents."**

"Your totally putting it in an understatement" Will muttered

"******Understatement," Annabeth muttered. **"******Keep climbing!"**

******Without the dragon and Hazel's horse to distract the archers, they never would have made it up the ladder; but finally they climbed past a row of broken aerial oars and onto the deck. The rigging was on fire. The foresail was ripped down the middle, and the ship listed badly to starboard.**

******There was no sign of Coach Hedge, but Leo stood amidships, calmly reloading the ballista. **

"How? What Urgh! Why?" Leo grabbed his hair in distress. He looked like he wanted to cry.

******Annabeth's gut twisted with horror.**

"******Leo!" she screamed. "What are you doing?"**

"******Destroy them …" He faced Annabeth. His eyes were glazed. His movements were like a robot's. "Destroy them all."**

"Possessed...He was possessed!" LA exclaimed, which made a few breathe out relief, while others remained rigid as they listened to Luke

******He turned back to the ballista, but Percy tackled him. **

Everyone glanced at me, sizing me up, then winced and sent Leo a look of pure sympathy. I rolled my eyes at them.

******Leo's head hit the deck hard, and his eyes rolled up so that only the whites showed.**

******The gray dragon soared into view. It circled the ship once and landed at the bow, depositing Jason and Piper, who both collapsed.**

"******Go!" Percy yelled. "Get us out of here!"**

******With a shock, Annabeth realized he was talking to her.**

"No Annabeth, of course Percy was talking to his imaginary friend named Balloney. Why would you even think he was talking to you?" Connor asked sarcastically, probably trying to lighten the mood. It got a few chuckles out of some of the campers.

******She ran for the helm. She made the mistake of glancing over the rail and saw armed legionnaires closing ranks in the forum, preparing flaming arrows. Hazel spurred Arion, and they raced out of ********the city with a mob chasing after them. More catapults were being wheeled into range. All along the Pomerian Line, the statues of Terminus were glowing purple, as if building up energy for some kind of attack.**

******Annabeth looked over the controls. She cursed Leo for making them so complicated.**

Leo apologized softly. Piper and Jason were comforting him the best they can but I don't think it's working

******No time for fancy maneuvers, but she did know one basic command: Up.**

**I smiled slightly, remembering the time she saved Rachel from the helicopter.**

******She grabbed the aviation throttle and yanked it straight back. The ship groaned. The bow tilted up at a horrifying angle. The mooring lines snapped, and the Argo II shot into the clouds.**

Everyone released the hidden breath they were subconsciously holding.

Luke awkwardly raised his hand "Um...who'll read next?"

Before anyone could volunteer, another portal opened.

Containing...

**Howdy!**

**ANOTHER CHAPTER COMPLETED!**

*** YOU REMEMBER THE KANE CHRONICLES SERIES? THE THING THAT USED TO HIDE IT'S TRUE FORM FROM THINGS IS CALLED A GLAMOUR (PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG BUT I THINK I REMEMBER CORRECTLY THAT SETNE USED THIS ON ZIA AND CARTER TO GET PAST THE LAND OF THE DEMONS)**

**SO...DOES ANYONE HAVE A GUESS ON WHO'S ARRIVING? :D**

**HINT: THEY ARE SEVEN PEOPLE WHO ARE QUITE UNEXPECTED (NO, NOT THE ARGONAUTS II. BUT I WILL ENTER THEM SOON. NOT NOW THOUGH)**

**NOW I JUST NEED YOU TO VOTE:**

_**WOULD YOU WANT THE MYSTERY PEOPLE TO BE FROM THE PAST OR FUTURE TIME?**_

**I KNOW ITS HARD TO VOTE IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHO ARE THEY EXACTLY BUT IF YOU WERE TO CHOOSE: PAST OR FUTURE VERSIONS?**

**OKAY, THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL PROBABLY TAKE SOME TIME AGAIN TO FINISH BUT I'LL GET TO WORK PRONTO.**

**OH AND VOTING STOPS AT MAY 23. IF NO VOTES CAME THEN I'LL BE DECIDING BY MYSELF.**

**SO LONG, FAREWELL! (FOR NOW)**

**I AM A NAIAD GLAD TO SERVE U**


	6. I'm so sorry for this Author's Note!

_**Hello guys!**_

_**I'm so sorry its been so long. My sister and I have been real busy we barely have four hours of sleep!**_

_**Okay to tell you guys the reason: We have jobs. Ballet and Jazz teachers to be precise (go ahead and laugh. You have every right to. I rarely tell anyone this but I figured I owe you guys an explanation). **_

_**And what's killing us is the recital we have to perform in. We rehearse three hours non-stop everyday. Well, we leave our house ten in the morning just to teach, then wait till our turn to be taught and rehearsed. We arrive home at eight pm, both playing tug of war for the laptop.**_

_**My sister ( Spankin Hot War Machine: you know the girl who made the 'An unexpected Chaos Story? That's her) and I apologize for our extremely long delays and we promise to get back to writing after the recital (which is by May 28, 2013. Tomorrow.) **_

_**Wish that we break a leg! (you know, the idiom. Not the literal meaning)**_

_**She's going to put this exact same author's note (only edited with my name on it) on her story so we both can stretch our apologies around fanfiction.**_

_**Sorry guys about the Author's Note. I can't do anything wit my sis hogging the laptop but I'll update soon. **_

_**My sister and I swear that we'll make it up to you**_

_**An idiot, a brilliant idiot, but still an idiot,**_

_**I am a naiad glad to serve u**_


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